Almost any site where a visitor has to make decisions can benefit from wayfinding: hospitals, aged care, schools, universities, offices, shopping centres, industrial sites, car parks, sporting venues and multi-building facilities. The more unfamiliar the visitor is with the site, the more important the system becomes.

A small system can move quickly, while a large site may need surveys, schedules, stakeholder approvals, prototypes and staged installation. If the signage is tied to a building opening or handover, tell us that date at the start so we can work backwards.

We start with how people actually arrive and move through the site. Entrances, decision points, destinations, lifts, stairs, amenities, car parks and exits all matter. My preference is to walk the site or work from a good plan and identify where someone genuinely needs information rather than putting signs everywhere.

Too much information, inconsistent destination names, signs placed after decision points, arrows that are ambiguous and trying to solve a confusing site with more signs instead of a better system. We try to simplify before we add.

A directory tells you what destinations exist and often where they are located. Wayfinding signs then guide you from one decision point to the next. They work best as one system, with consistent names, colours, arrows and terminology.

Plans are ideal, but they are not essential. Send us a site map or photos, a list of key destinations, any existing signage standards and the main problems visitors are having. From there we can work out whether a site survey is the next step.

Put them where people have to make a decision, not after the decision has already been made. That sounds obvious, but it is one of the most common mistakes we see. We consider viewing direction, distance, obstructions and how quickly a visitor needs to understand the message.

Usually less than people initially want. A directional sign needs to be understood quickly. We prioritise destination names, clear arrows and a logical hierarchy rather than trying to list every possible room on every sign.

Yes, and it should feel like part of the environment. We can use your colours, typography and design language while still keeping legibility and navigation as the priority. Good wayfinding can be strongly branded without becoming difficult to read.

Yes. Architectural plans and room schedules are very useful, particularly on new developments. We can use them to understand circulation and destinations, then work with the project team to develop a practical sign schedule and location plan.

Yes. For existing sites, a site survey is often the best starting point. Walking the site as if we were a first-time visitor can reveal confusing intersections, missing destinations and signs that are technically present but not actually helping anyone.

Contrast, type size, viewing distance, simple language and clear arrows matter more than decoration. If someone has to stop and study a directional sign, it probably has too much information on it.