Wayfinding Graphics and Signage: Best Examples for 2024

In an era where every brand, organization, and institution is vying for people’s attention, custom wayfinding graphics and signage have become an indispensable element of commercial design. They reflect a brand’s personality and speak volumes about its identity. Whether your workplace is a bustling airport, a historic university, a modern museum, or a professional sports complex, wayfinding graphics subtly yet consistently communicate your organization’s story while providing essential information, enhancing the overall visitor experience.  

As an executive, entrepreneur, or corporate leader, you understand the importance of creating a cohesive brand image and enhancing customer experience through every touchpoint. This is where wayfinding comes into play – these powerful tools guide people through physical spaces while showcasing your brand identity through environmental graphic design. In this article, we will explore the best modern examples of wayfinding graphics and signage that demonstrate just how powerful and personalized these visual assets can be.

What is Wayfinding?

Wayfinding refers to the systems of signs, symbols, colors, and other visual cues that help guide people through a physical environment and enhance their understanding and experience of the space. It's an essential aspect of architectural and urban design, helping individuals navigate complex spaces like airports, hospitals, and corporate interiors. Wayfinding extends beyond simple directional signage to include all methods of communication in a physical space that contribute to a person’s understanding of and journey through that space. It's not just about telling people where they are, but also about guiding them to where they need to go, and doing so in a way that aligns with a brand's identity.

Why are Wayfinding Graphics Important?

If you’ve ever been desperate to use the restroom in an unfamiliar public space, you understand why wayfinding matters. Over and above the essentials – like bathrooms and exits – wayfinding ensures an effective and efficient traffic flow. Studying how occupants move through and experience a space can reveal where problem areas are and help institutions and organizations provide better visual cues to reduce confusion and increase efficiency, improving the guest experience. 

Effective wayfinding is also a safety measure – from marking emergency exits and stairwells to indicating the location of fire extinguishers – wayfinding is essential for the physical safety of visitors but also helps them feel safe in new environments. No one enjoys feeling lost. Without wayfinding, every airport terminal, grocery aisle, and stadium seating section looks the same. Wayfinding helps guests know both where they are and how to get where they are going. 

Good wayfinding tells you how to move through a space. Great wayfinding makes moving through a space an enjoyable experience. For brands, these essential visual cues are an often overlooked opportunity to express brand personality, showcase creativity, and even shape the customer experience. They are also a place to showcase inclusivity and accessibility. Your commercial interior should be welcoming and navigable by all your visitors, including those with low vision, hearing impairment, or mobility issues.

Wayfinding Graphics: 4 Common Types

1. Informational

Informational wayfinding graphics apply to an entire facility. Think of a classic mall kiosk, subway map, or lobby placard that directs you to key locations in an office building or hotel.

2. Directional  

Directional wayfinding shows visitors which way to go, using arrows, junction indicators, or floor graphics – these help guests on their way to a destination. 

3. Identification 

This type of wayfinding signage includes door plaques, restroom icons, and aisle markers in grocery stores. They are visual cues to let you know you have reached a particular destination.

4. Regulatory 

Anything communicating rules, laws, or having to do with safety or liability, falls into this category of wayfinding graphics. Examples include exit signs, no smoking signs, and maximum occupancy signs.

Best Examples of Wayfinding Graphics and Signage in 2024

DoorDash Headquarters - San Francisco, CA

Great Parks Neighborhoods, Irvine, CA

Sagamore Pendry Boutique Hotel, Baltimore, MD

Contentful Workplace, Berlin, Germany

Komatsu America Corporation Corporate Headquarters, Chicago, IL

Nuance Communications, Burlington, MA

Wayfinding signage and graphics offer brands and institutions a practical and purposeful means of infusing creativity and branding into their environment. These visual elements provide key information to visitors helping them to navigate new or unfamiliar spaces, find crucial services, and feel more comfortable while doing so. The best wayfinding graphics not only enhance the overall aesthetic of a space but also improve navigation, reduce confusion and frustration, and, ultimately, elevate the visitor experience.

At Bridgewater Studio, we offer a comprehensive approach to wayfinding graphics that starts with strategy, moves into design, and finally handles all fabrication, production, and finishing in-house. From oversized office graphics to 3D lettering to interactive LED displays, we are committed to finding the best means and methods to help elevate your environment through inspired visual elements. As both a design studio and fabrication shop, our end-to-end approach streamlines the process and eliminates the hassle of working with multiple vendors. Discover more by booking a no-obligation strategy session with Bridgewater today.