Interior signage

The three layers

Signage works in layers, and that order matters more than the material.

• Orientation: where am I and how is this building laid out. These are the floor plans and the overview boards at the entrance and by the lifts.
• Direction: which way do I go. These are the arrow signs at the junctions of corridors, each one confirming that you are still on the right track.
• Identification: am I there. These are the door signs, room numbers and room designations.

Fit only door signs without directional signs and people keep searching until they happen to end up at the right door.

Interchangeable or fixed

In buildings where functions and names change — offices, schools, care institutions — a system with interchangeable insert strips is almost always the better choice. The holder stays on the wall, the card inside it changes. Have names printed straight onto the plate instead and within two years you are sticking labels over labels.

For fixed designations such as room numbers or department names, a fixed plate is the neater and more durable solution.

Safety signage

Escape route signs, fire equipment signs and mandatory and prohibition signs fall under statutory requirements and standardised pictograms. For escape route signage in spaces that can go dark, photoluminescent material is used, which glows when the lighting fails. This is not a part where you design freely; here the form follows the standard.

Accessibility

Contrast between text and background, sufficient type size in relation to the reading distance, and a mounting height that works for someone seated. In care environments, raised lettering or braille is added on door signs. These too are choices that have to be made early, because they determine the size of the plate.