Wayfinding and Signage USM Interior Design 10-18-2017 Sarah Irby Hoskins VA Gulf Coast Health Care System

Wayfinding vs. Signage Elements of a good Wayfinding Program Consider the state of the visitor Decision points Directories Directionals Landmarks Life Safety Signage Warning Signs (Hazardous materials/areas, Oxygen in Use, Pregnancy warning, etc.)

Elements of a Successful Wayfinding Project Pre-Visit Appointment Letters Instructions Travel Website Arrival Site Signage Garage Signage Orientation People Directories Navigation Interior Signage Employees Handout Maps Destination Check-In Kiosks and Clerks Exit

Arrival Is site signage confusing? Are directional signs consistent? Can our patients remember where they parked?

Interior Wayfinding Where am I? Where am I going? How do I know when I get there? How do I get back to my vehicle? How do I get to food? Where is the bathroom? What floor am I on?

Types of Interior Signs Directory Campus Listings You Are Here Map Overall Picture of a Facility or Campus Directionals Signs that point the way Usually overhead or wall mounted Overheads Usually in Corridor or open spaces Avoid too many Room IDs Room Numbers Changeable inserts with functions or names Right Angles “Flags” Usually destinations or information

Finding Your Way Directionals for Paths of Travel Primary Secondary Tertiary and Destination Remember, once the viewer leaves the Directory, Map or Directional Sign, this new information will quickly fade. In the case of a “You Are Here” map, once they make the first turn, all their orientation will be lost. Typically when including more that 6 to 8 destinations, people will stop reading a sign because of information overload. It is new visitors who will depend the most on signs to navigate a facility. Be cautious, avoid information overload. When developing the information for directional signs, keep in mind that high traffic destinations should take top priority for being listed. Secondary services that are closest to the location of the sign then become the next group of items to list.

Landmarks Colors Elevators Reception Desk Art Installations Floor Patterns Digital Wallcoverings

Electronic Wayfinding Web Based Technology (Pre-visit) Kiosks GPS / Google Maps Bar Code Technology

Electronic Wayfinding

Electronic Wayfinding

Electronic Wayfinding

Easy Wayfinding Improvements* Name Elevators Name Entrances Implement Color Codes Remove Clutter Implement Path System * Real World Application!

Good Signage is: Consistent Clear and Simple…no time to get fancy! Capital and lower case letters High contrast Nomenclature consistent

Arrows Group all information together that is one direction Preferred Not Preferred Group all information together that is one direction Using an arrow for each message makes the sign confusing and difficult to read Arrows

Exterior Directionals

Building Id

Exterior

Biloxi VA Solution Create named path systems Highlight each path with a name and color to help make them distinct Align paths with existing art program

Path System

Path System

Path System

Path System

Example Path Concepts

Example Path Concepts

Path System Photos

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Oops

Oops Plan for signage!

Resources ISA – International Sign Association SEGD – Society for Environmental Graphic Design DigitalSignageToday.com Kioskmarketplace.com Signs of the Times (Print publication of ST Media Group( SignWeb.com VA Signage Design Guide

Questions? Ideas? Comments?