Navigating an office should feel effortless. Whether you’re welcoming new employees, hosting a new client, or simply helping people move between departments, the ability to get from A to B without confusion is a key part of a well-functioning workspace. This is where office wayfinding comes into play.
If you’re refurbishing your office or opening a new one, it’s the perfect time to integrate or upgrade your wayfinding strategy. Changes to layout, department locations, or new collaborative spaces can confuse even your most long-standing team members; however, including wayfinding early in the design process ensures that signage and visual cues feel like part of the space, rather than an afterthought.
What is office wayfinding?
Office wayfinding is the strategy and design behind guiding people through a physical space. It includes visual cues like signs, floor markings, digital directories, and even architectural elements that help individuals understand where they are, where they need to go, and how to get there. A comprehensive wayfinding system might include:
- Directional signage to lead people to key areas such as meeting rooms, toilets, break areas, or exits
- Nameplates or room identifiers for clarity in spaces
- Floor plans or maps at the main entrances
- Colour-coded zones for large or multi-level offices
- Visual cues such as lighting, flooring patterns, or wall graphics to guide movement intuitively
The benefits of office wayfinding
- Reduces confusion and frustration: nobody wants to feel lost in a workspace, especially visitors, customers or new staff members. Clear and logical wayfinding minimises confusion, ensures people arrive where they need to be on time, and reduces the need to ask for directions.
- Enhances health and safety: In an emergency, knowing how to exit a building quickly is crucial. Wayfinding supports health and safety by clearly marking evacuation routes, exits, and first aid points, which is also essential in meeting compliance and safeguarding regulations.
- Supports inclusivity and accessibility: well-designed wayfinding considers all users, including those with disabilities. This may include well thought-out signage, braille, high-contrast colours, or audio guidance. An inclusive environment boosts confidence and helps every visitor feel welcome and is something that every modern business should be applying to their business model.
- Improves workflow and efficiency: employees spend less time asking for directions or searching for meeting rooms when wayfinding is clear. By having these systems in place, you can ensure to streamline movement across departments and help with the everyday running of a busy office.
- Strengthens your brand identity: From the tone of voice used on signs to the design and colour palette, wayfinding offers an opportunity to reinforce your company culture, values, and professionalism.
The different types of wayfinding
Informational signage: These signs provide general information, such as Wi-Fi instructions, opening hours for breakout spaces, or building policies. They are often located in communal areas or entryways and can ensure that staff members, visitors or customers are aware of anything which may impact the day to day running of the office.
Directional signage: Directional signs help guide users to various destinations within the office using arrows, floor numbers, and location indicators.
Identification signage: These signs identify specific spaces, such as meeting rooms, offices, or departments. They help users confirm they’ve arrived at the correct destination and can help boost productivity and communication within a workplace.
Regulatory signage: These signs include mandatory notices like fire exit signs, emergency routes, no smoking areas, or accessibility information. They are essential for compliance with health and safety regulations and there might be different signs required for different work forces, for example offices, warehouses, retail or educational facilities.
Office design services for businesses across the UK
From full-scale fit-outs to commercial interior design, our office design team are equipped with all the skills and resources to transform any office space. We also offer space planning services if you’re looking to plan our your space and make it as efficient as possible!
With a great office design, your staff will be a lot happier coming to work every day, making them more productive and a lot happier!
Call one of our specialists today on 0115 647 7429 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.