1. Wayfinding and Signage
USM Interior Design
Sarah Irby Hoskins
VA Gulf Coast Health Care System

2. 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.)

3. 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

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

5. 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?

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Landmarks Colors Elevators Reception Desk Art Installations
Floor Patterns
Digital Wallcoverings

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

10. Electronic Wayfinding

11. Electronic Wayfinding

12. Electronic Wayfinding

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

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

15. 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

16. Exterior Directionals

17. Building Id

18. Exterior

19. 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

20. Path System

21. Path System

22. Path System

24. Path System

26. Example Path Concepts

27. Example Path Concepts

28. Path System Photos

36. Oops
Contrast is too low. Correction in progress.

37. Oops

38. Oops
Plan for signage!

39. 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

40. Questions? Ideas? Comments?