Developing a program
The development of an integrated wayfinding program parallels the architectural process, including project phases for research, planning, design, documentation and implementation.
Given the dynamic nature of hospitals, their sign systems should be designed to allow updates as needed.
Research and planning
Every health-care facility has its own physical requirements, organizational configuration and internal politics. As such, a wayfinding ‘task force’ should include internal and external stakeholders, to ensure continuity and consistency of directions and decisions and to avoid conflicts that could result in additional costs. This group can provide input in terms of strategy, organizational idiosyncrasies, common language and ongoing program management.
The research and planning phase includes assessing current conditions, surveying user groups, identifying paths and destinations, establishing an information hierarchy and determining the wayfinding language. Once the functional and esthetic criteria have been addressed, along with compliance and operational parameters, a wayfinding master plan should be compiled.
The master plan is a comprehensive guide for how the wayfinding program will work, from creation through implementation to ongoing management. It should provide options for fabrication and installation based on budgetary considerations.
Once every sign type is identified and the necessary quantities determined, potential high and low costs should be estimated for each type. By multiplying these costs by the number of signs, a budget range can be calculated for the entire project. Then, choices can be made about how money will be prioritized and allocated.
Design
The final sign designs will respond to the criteria in the wayfinding master plan, ensuring creative concepts can meet the functional, esthetic and budgetary goals of the program as they are brought to life.
Documentation
Beyond design, documentation includes instructions for the fabrication and installation of the signs. Large-scale, ongoing programs for organizations with multiple facilities will typically include all signage standards as part of the documentation package.
Implementation
The system’s designers can assist in identifying and choosing preferred, qualified sign fabricators and installers. The process may need to be negotiated and managed carefully to ensure quality.
No matter how good a sign system is, there will always be some need for interpersonal communications to help patients find their way with confidence
As mentioned, even with the most effective wayfinding program in place, visitors will still ask for directions. So, another component of integrated wayfinding is the careful orchestration of how these directions are given. Staff should be taught to guide patients with simple, consistent instructions and the common language of the sign system.
Simple but complex
A comprehensive, integrated wayfinding program may in the end appear simple, but there is significant complexity behind its effect on the visitor experience. It demands input from and collaboration between many stakeholders. It requires an acute understanding of users’ behavioural patterns.
The results are worth the effort if visitors and patients getting lost can become a thing of the past. When wayfinding is directly integrated into facility design, rather than added as an afterthought, it can foster an intuitive environment that reduces patients’ stress and thus enhances their healing.
Philip Murphy is president and CEO of GNU Group, a design and project management firm that specializes in branding, environmental graphic design (EGD), architectural signage, wayfinding and marketing communications for real estate owners, developers, users and their consultants. For more information, visit www.gnugroup.com.
