5 Wayfinding Signage Tips for a Post-COVID-19 Pandemic

Wayfinding signage is an essential component of any public space, and it has become particularly valuable in helping people find their way and easily stay safe during the pandemic. With this in mind, we’ve put together a listicle of our top 5 wayfinding signage tips that you can use to help ensure the well-being of your visitors in a post-COVID-19 world. 

These tips will help you create effective and safe designs for any location around Australia. Read on to learn more about taking advantage of these helpful tips and implementing them into your wayfinding strategy!

• Accessibility and Inclusion

Most signs that predate the pandemic and modern design considerations often failed to accommodate to building codes and had little consideration for those with diverse needs. These days it is often the expectation, particularly in post-pandemic times, that there will be sign types available to suit differing abilities and needs.

One of the most common signage design choices that can immediately enhance your wayfinding strategy and account for all ability levels is by incorporating tactile signs into your network. These are designed mainly for people who may be blind or vision impaired, making wayfinding and location information easier to access for everyone.

• User Design and Experience

When it comes to directional signage, a design that only accounts for other public spaces surrounding the user can make wayfinding more complicated than a design that doesn’t account for other public spaces surrounding the user. Be sure to create signage that is easily visible, clear and user-friendly. This includes avoiding text overload, sticking to a simple colour palette, and using appropriate fonts.

In a post-pandemic context, minimising physical contact ensures a cleaner and more commonly expected use of public spaces people now come to expect. Design the wayfinding signs with contactless features such as QR codes or audio instructions to help people navigate through the space rather than expensive and abundant touchscreens found in wayfinding signs utilising digital technology and maps.

• Express Your Company Personality

Installation of a creative signage design can make a strong impact on clients, customers and even the incidental pedestrian, especially in the city or built environments. It’s important to consider the surrounding aesthetic, strengths and weaknesses that come from your surrounding environments, particularly when it comes to signage placement and execution.

A signage system project that incorporates itself with a company’s mission, vision and values can be an effective way of making a statement that is unique to the space. It also serves as an obvious indication for users that come across your location that this is a place where their needs can be met or where the desired experience can be enjoyed in the area.

• Help Create a Natural Flow to The Space

Incorporating information systems and wayfinding signage into an environment not only aids in the navigation of people within the space but also enhances their understanding and experience of the space from all angles and ensures that the locations mentioned make sense and lead people naturally to the destination they are hoping to reach.

When you visit the Sydney Opera House, The MCG or The Gabba, you aren’t usually thinking about where to find navigational signs. Instead, you’re more interested in the event you’re about to see!

In order for that to happen, you need to be able to get into the venue, go through security, find your seat, locate the bathroom, queue at the bar and so much more. The importance of efficient wayfinding and signage lies in the fact that all of these experiences should be presented to patrons seamlessly and intuitively guide them to their location.

• Sustainable and Natural Design

By implementing natural materials, colours and shapes that are in tune with the surrounding environment and building design, your signs should achieve a balance where it not only complements their surroundings but also provides a legible means of navigation.

Additionally, choosing sustainable materials, like wayfinding signage solutions available from Mesh Direct, is a great way to remain environmentally friendly and show your surrounding community and clients that you’ve installed this wayfinding signage solution to navigate and improve the local area.

By following these five tips, you can create impactful and safe wayfinding signage designs that will help people navigate their way through your business for years to come!

If you need some assistance or inspiration on execution for your wayfinding signage project, get in touch with Mesh Direct, we carry out and help design wayfinding and statutory signage projects, which include signs for building code compliance, fire compliance, unit numbers, braille and tactile signs for amenities, car park directional signs and lobby directory boards. Now that you know what to do, what are you waiting for?