Way finding signs help connect visitors to the businesses that operate within the business park. Business parks can house any number of businesses, including small businesses and very large companies. For visitors, business parks sure can get confusing. That’s when a way finding sign becomes vital.
A good way finding sign needs to adopt certain characteristics.
Consistency
First, it should be designed in the same style as the business park itself. This ensures compatibility and consistency. If a business in a business park features lots of gleaming steel and concrete, then a way finding sign made from 1/2″ plywood isn’t going to cut it. The sign becomes incompatible with the design and theme of the complex it serves. That inconsistency can unsettle visitors, even if they don’t or can’t articulate this.
The most effective way finding signs are modern. They are artistic, but with a suitably commercial feel. They’re usually made from clean, industrial materials like aluminum or stainless steel. If the business park shares an eco-friendly theme, then a suitable hardwood, such as maple or cherry, can be used instead.
Any sign – particularly the outdoor signs – should align thematically with the business or businesses it serves. A way finding sign can be an attractive piece of crafted work, but it’s also there to serve a very important purpose to new visitors. It should be visible but not obtrusive.
Clarity
Second, a good way finding sign must be able to convey its information in a manner that is easy to understand. Business tenants’ names are best laid out in a grid. The lettering should be large and clear enough to be read by people with vision difficulties. Not everyone remembers their reading glasses when they go out.
A map of the park, where the sign design permits it, is also useful. A full-color map allows visitors to get their bearings and plan the best route to achieve their objectives.
Flexibility
Third, it’s important to remember when designing way finding signs that business tenants tend to come and go. As such, the design should incorporate ways of accommodating this.
A common method is to engrave tenant names on temporary panels – made from metal or acrylic – which can be removed whenever a change of tenancy occurs.
Follow these three principles and you won’t go far wrong in your choice of way finding sign.
With years of experience, Pure Image Signs and Graphics can help you design the perfect way finding signs for your business park. Give us a call at 604 409-8040 today.