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Easily Navigate Your School’s Campus with the Thoughtful Use of Directional Signs

May 17, 2023 | Articles

Directional signs are a practical way to welcome and impress visitors to your school.

If you’ve been at your educational institution for some time, you probably don’t even notice its wayfinding tools and directional signs anymore. But prospective students, parents, and guests who visit your campus are sure to be looking at them. Illegible signage, missing navigational  aids, and lifeless hallways won’t make a positive first impression. With today’s fierce competition for new students and donors, it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity to put your best foot forward. When they’re designed properly, sign systems aid in navigation, provide answers, and enable a steady flow of traffic.

Your school’s vibe is a valuable recruitment tool so follow these tips to make the most of it with well-placed, attractive directional signs.

1. Avoid information overload.

Too much text, wild color schemes, and unnecessary media will obscure your intended message. Wayfinding signage is meant to engage customers and prompt interaction, but it shouldn’t overstimulate and ultimately disengage the viewer. That’s exactly what happens when you bombard people with too many distractions in your wayfinding signage. Keep the design crisp, clean, and straightforward to make the experience as effortless as possible.

2. Plan for decision points.

As you’re walking or driving, ‘decision points’ frequently pop up. At these junctures, you’ll need to make a turn, continue straight, or some other option, depending upon where you’re headed. By placing directional signage in a visible location well in advance of the decision point, it allows people time to choose which way they want to go.

3. Showcase what you’re all about.

Visitors are already referring to your signs for navigation, so why not use them to communicate additional information you want to convey? For instance, you can promote your brand identity with creative signage systems that reflect your school logo and colors. You can even bring your institution’s personality to life through your wayfinding. What’s your style? Loud and proud? Traditional and timeless? Whatever culture your school embodies, you can and should find ways to showcase it in your directional signage.

4. Employ contrast.

It’s important to get the colors right in navigational signs, but the contrast is just as critical.  Black lettering on a white background is standard, but if your signs are colorful, make sure the text stands out and is legible when it’s viewed from a distance. Avoid using hues that are similar, such as blue text on a green background.

5. Don’t forget the maintenance.

Wayfinding systems aren’t intended to be static. They should grow and evolve, and that means they need ongoing monitoring and management. It’s common to see directional signs and navigational aids that are damaged, overgrown, and illegible. Wayfinding signage that’s in poor condition should be replaced with well-positioned, easy-to-read new signs, while anything obsolete should be removed immediately. Be sure to audit your wayfinding system signage periodically and update it as needed.

We can all relate to the frustration of trying to find that hard-to-locate restroom or exit in a maze of unfamiliar corridors. Help everyone enjoy a seamless, stress-free experience when they visit your campus with appropriate, well-planned directional signage.

Adler Display has more than 85 of experience in designing and delivering custom wayfinding solutions that boost engagement, raise brand awareness, and create remarkable first impressions. Please contact our helpful professionals to learn more or to get started.


About Adler Display: For over 85 years, Adler Display has been one of the best-kept secrets behind so many businesses looking their best. Designing and producing a wide variety of high-quality recognition displays, trade show displays, signage and exhibits, lobby and corporate interiors, and historical timelines, Adler’s expert team includes consultants, designers, project managers, and fabricators. Working from a 17,000-square-foot facility in Baltimore that includes a precision woodworking shop, Adler Display handles all printing, construction, and finishing on site. Learn how to achieve your imaging goals and make your business look amazing at: www.AdlerDisplay.com.