Wayfinding is an integral part of human existence and has been throughout history. Wayfinding has the function of informing people of their surroundings.
An effective wayfinding system consists of a number of characteristics that are as follows:
- Do not make them think - create a clear communication system with concise messaging
- Show only what is needed - relevant information to the space or location
- Remove excessive information - remove unnecessary elements and
keep it clear
Strategic Wayfinding Design- When creating a signage system for an area or building, strategy is essential as it allows for a modular system that is adaptable.
- Research is an important step to understand the environment the wayfinding will be used in.
Signage
There are 4 important types of signs:
- Information signs - a sign with a destination
- Directional signs - helps find/locate a destination- Identification signs - info about individual locations are displayed
- Warning signs - safety procedures for an area
To make a signage system work together, a design grid is used to order information and to scale the signs to different sizes.
Signage Typeface
- Signage typeface is usually sans-serif type and available in various weights with a simple easy to read design.
- They have a good legibility with a large X-height and wide letter proportions with prominent ascenders/descenders to ensure a good readability.
Be consistent in typography, type height, icons, grids, colour and material choice. The signs need to be straight forward and in a consistent order.
Signage and colour contrast
- Contrast between the foreground and background is one of the most important factors for the ease of reading.
- If coloured text is used on a bright background the contrast will be weak.
- Optimal contrast results in white text against dark colours.
- Colour programs can distinguish signs from one another and can offer an indication of the message without having to understand the sign.
Arthur & Passini Graph
- This graph explains the calculated contrast difference between two colours
- The formula is based on the light reflectancy in percentages
- Subtracting the darker colour from the lighter one, divided by the difference by the lighter and multiplying by 100 we get the Brightness Differential
- When the brightness differential is 70% or over the legibility is assured. Anything below this percentage means it does not have enough legibility to be used.
Examples of Wayfinding around Leeds city centre
Examples of Wayfinding around Leeds city centre
Thanks for the post. Wayfinding signages are very useful and many times it is like a companion for travelers. Even for local people who are travelling in vehicles name signage board are very useful.
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