Wayfinding can be defined as using organized sensory cues in design elements to help a building or public place’s branding, orientation, and overall environment. If applied correctly, it can enhance the user experience, providing a welcoming and inspiring venue for clients, employees, and guests. 

A building’s aesthetics play a big part in representing a company. With the right elements, you can convey the right brand message and create the targeted ambiance that draws the desired effect. 

The following are examples of places where wayfinding can be especially helpful: 

• Hospitals
• Schools and Universities
• Retail buildings
• Corporate Buildings
• Airports
• Museums

INCORPORATING THE RIGHT ELEMENTS 

So, how does one achieve the desired effect, or what elements can be used in wayfinding? There are many components you can incorporate into a building’s design to achieve the desired effect. Read on to discover some of them. 

COLOR CODING 

Probably one of the most essential elements to consider in wayfinding is color coding. Colors can not only represent your brand but when it comes to wayfinding, they can also be used as an organization or categorization method to highlight specific areas or make others more visible. They can even be used to distinguish between employee and guest areas or to designate the use of a particular employee room. 

The “Green Room” in a well-known radio station, for example, is where the on-air talents relax before or after their shift, and the “Purple Room” is where celebrities and guests wait before entering the live radio studio to be interviewed. Using colors to identify a space enhances the user experience for employees in such a way that the room becomes personal to them, producing in them a sense of comfort, belonging, and attachment to both the room and the company. 

GRAPHICS 

Well-designed and intelligently placed graphics can also help in wayfinding and enhancing the user experience. Graphics can help transform a space and even change a building’s “mood.” With the right colors and brand messaging, you can provoke energizing, relaxing, or even inspiring emotions in your employees and guests. 

For example, combining colors with inspirational quotes or the company’s core values or creed on the breakroom or lunchroom walls can make employees feel comfortable and motivated to take on the workday.

CEILING DESIGNS, FLOOR PATTERNS, AND TACTILE ELEMENTS

An interesting fact about wayfinding is that it is an effective form of communication–a way for the building to “tell” the person how to feel, where to go, or how to find their place in a space–both visually and tactilely.  

Following this logic, ceiling designs can be a great way not only to enhance the look of a building but also to help people find their way. Such is also the case with floor patterns. A good ceiling or floor design can also guide someone and subconsciously lead them in the correct direction. If implemented effectively, ceiling and floor patterns can reduce the signage needed. 

To accommodate the visually impaired, it is imperative to also incorporate tactile features into a building’s design. There are numerous ways to make a space more navigable for people with partial or complete vision loss. In addition to braille, elements like lighting, color contrasts, and textures can make the user experience much more pleasant. 

SIGNAGE

Signage is perhaps one of the most essential components in wayfinding, for it provides information and direction. It tells people about their location, desired destination, WIFI accessibility, and opening hours. Signage can be used directionally, with the utilization of arrows, or regulatorily, with signs that say, “no smoking,” “restricted area,” “private,” or “staff only.”

Most importantly, signage is often considered a corporate interior’s “icing on the cake,” providing an excellent opportunity to creatively highlight a building’s aesthetic and brand messaging with great detail. 

The sky is the limit when it comes to incorporating practical wayfinding elements into a design. At 2020 Exhibits, we have a team of talented designers ready to help you create a welcoming and inviting environment for your building or place of work. Our skilled professionals believe attention to detail is the key to an inspiring design.

With all our clients, we take the time to meticulously strategize a design that incorporates all the necessary components for effective wayfinding. We aim to produce a corporate interior that energizes, inspires, and motivates for an enhanced user experience. 

That is the 2020 Exhibits way–wayfinding way. 

Contact us today to transform your space.