The primary function of these signs is to point the user in the direction of their required destination with a minimum of fuss & confusion.
Incorporated into the sign can be corporate or safety information. The best wayfinding sign is clear, concise and has good colour contrast.
Once more, directories do seem rather obvious as wayfinding signage. We are conditioned to seeing them almost everywhere, so the variety of designs, colours, layouts and so on, is nearly endless. From the pictures beneath, on the first row you can see the far left and far right directories are internal aluminium ‘slatz’ directories. The other two are external, also made of aluminium but a far more durable and stronger version – also the type of vinyl applied as text/images tends to be slightly different and also has an environmental anti-vandalism vinyl coating.
As you look at them, you can maybe see why they got their name. If done correctly they should point in a very precise direction to where you are trying to go – however, some fingerposts are more general, pointing along the route of a path for example (rather than pointing directly at the endpoint).
Used for wayfinding, primarily because of the sheer size of the monoliths, they do stand out and certainly grab the attention. These tend to be constructed of durable 11g aluminium frameworks with aluminium composite panels with printed vinyl or cut vinyl graphics, such as wall art.
These types of wayfinding signs are printed from a design onto vinyl, and the vinyl is applied to a substrate such as aluminium composite. Utilising more than just the text of the location to get to, these styles of wayfinding signs can be used to advertise as well (a picture of the restaurant as well as the text, for example). Pictograms are becoming a more common sight on signage, usually depicting departments or areas.
