Directional arrows for floors that you can buy on Bsign store often seem not as important as many other interior design elements. Very few people actually understand that without them wayfinding in public spaces with a complex organisation would be a complete mess. What else, if not floor signs, can provide a better visual guide in a new interior environment? We have no answer to this question so let us find out why directional arrows are so important.
Clarity of Wayfinding
Wayfinding is something bigger than just pointing directions to the designated areas. We consider wayfinding a complex aspect that implies other important things, such as:
- Navigation: The function of a directional arrow on the floor is to guide the visitors and employees from point A to point B.
- Safety: Wayfinding is all about safety because when an emergency occurs, one cannot escape the building safely if he has no clue about the emergency exit location.
- Efficiency: New employees often get lost in intricate mazes of corridors of their new workspaces such as offices, hospitals, and campuses. This could be avoided with the help of well-designed directional arrows for floors.
Other Directional Instruments In Addition to Arrows
An arrow is the simplest and most effective way to point in the direction of a specific area.
However, this does not imply that other means should be applied as well:
- Text Inscriptions: Text inscriptions might provide more detailed guidance compared to simple arrows. At the same time, make sure that the text does not make a door plaque look too overwhelmed with unnecessary elements.
- Pictograms: These are pictograms that represent specific actions or concepts in a simple and understandable manner. What makes pictograms so effective if they are understandable without words — you do not need to know Spanish words for “men’s” and “women’s” to make the difference between male and female restroom signs.
Simplicity is a key to everything, and interior navigation is not an exception.
Design Must Be Considered
Many believe that design is inferior to the functionality of floor directional signs with arrows. We are ready to dispute this statement a provide several important reasons why the design of a wall plaque nearly equals the importance of its functional features.
- Good design is what makes a sign visible. A sign might convey all the necessary information but if it is poorly designed, this information will not be visible to a visitor. So choose the right priorities — visibility of the content is as important as the content itself.
- Good sign design is one of the elements of consistent interior design. Your space must speak the same language if you do not want it to provoke cognitive dissonance inside a visitor’s mind. That is why every detail should be a consistent piece of the general picture, and arrow signs for floors are no exceptions.
- Accessibility matters. You need a custom-designed directional sign if you want it to incorporate it with inscriptions written in Braille. This is how you make sure that your space is inclusive to every visitor.
Be serious and apply a well-thought-out approach to the selection of directional arrow signs. The result is worth the effort.
