Wayfinding Signage
This section details directional signage, such as finger posts, bollards and waymarker discs, suitable for wayfinding in parks, nature reserves, public open spaces and urban environments.
Most projects start with us providing a quote. You can contact us via email, the enquiry form or give us a call. We are always happy to chat through your requirements.
Some clients know exactly what they want and provide a detailed brief. Other clients are looking for guidance and to explore options – we are happy to work with you to define your project.
Shelley Signs offer a full service for Wayfinding Signage – please follow these links for more information about our in-house design, submitting your own artwork, Framing Options, materials and general guidance about Wayfinding & Interpretation Signs Guidance on maps and popular styles can be found at the Maps link.
Overview of Product
Signs for Wayfinding projects encompass both internal and external projects although Shelley Signs specialise and have particular expertise in the development of external Wayfinding signage. A mapping and wayfinding project includes mapping and cartography, deciding on the balance between maps, permanent signage, fingerposts and assessing the natural flow for visitors.
Types of Wayfinding Signage
There are four common forms of wayfinding signage (often referred to as a wayfinding system) that help people find their way in an environment that is unfamiliar to them. It can be as simple as a map on a wall, or it can be a comprehensive system of signs, symbols, and maps that are carefully designed to guide people through a complex environment. These are:
Directional
Directional signage is used in public open spaces to direct visitors and highlight features of interest. A carefully thought out scheme can provide a discreet and non-intrusive means of informing and controlling visitor flow.
Some common types of directional signs include:
Waymarker Discs
This is a low-cost wayfinding sign that is used for guiding people around open spaces and influencing their behaviour.
Bollards
Timber Bollards are a versatile and effective way of communicating and influencing the behaviour of visitors to country parks and public open spaces. They can be discreet and very simple or large and contain a range of information including printed graphics.
Wooden Finger Posts
Wooden finger posts are often used in rural parks and nature reserves, whereas aluminium finger posters are more frequently used in more urban settings often alongside GRP fingers that are durable, vandal and weather-resistant.
Waymarker Discs
Waymarker discs are a popular and low cost means of directing visitors around open spaces and influencing their behaviour.
Commonly 76mm diameter the standard waymarker discs are for Footpaths, Bridleways, cycle routes & restricted access but we produce individual way markers with route names, crests, logos and colours to suit. Waymarkers can be produced at any size to suit.
A wide range of waymarker disc examples are shown below. Please request a quote for your specific requirements.
Waymarker Posts
Timber Bollards are a versatile and effective way of communicating and influencing the behaviour of visitors to country parks and public open spaces. They can be discreet and very simple or large and contain a range of information including printed graphics.
The Gallery section, below, provides a useful overview of the styles available but most Bollards are made to order and are designed to match your particular requirements.
Directional bollards are normally produced in timber. They can be in oak, pressure treated softwood or recycled plastic
Finger Post Signs
This section details directional signage, such as finger posts, bollards and waymarker discs, suitable for wayfinding in parks, nature reserves, public open spaces and urban environments.
Shelley Signs is an experienced sign maker with twenty years experience designing bespoke signs manufactured to your exact specification. Most projects start with us providing a quote. You can contact us via email, the enquiry form or give us a call. We are always happy to chat through your requirements.
Some clients know exactly what they want and provide a detailed brief. Other clients are looking for guidance and to explore options – we are happy to work with you to define your project.
Informational
Informational wayfinding signage, such as interpretation panels and boards, are effective wayfinding systems that improve the visitor experience. They educate and inform the reader about the environment around them.
Informational signs can be made from encapsulated Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) providing a tough and robust finish for outdoor graphics that doesn’t detract from the quality of the print. Wooden signs can be supplied as individual panels, with some quite complex designs, or as part of a framing structure for a full-colour printed panel. The versatility of timber gives you scope for some highly individual graphics, with routed timber signs being perfect for the interpretation of wayfinding signs for the visually impaired.
Identification
Identification signage is vital in busy environments. They help visitors to orientate themselves and find their way around.
Common identification signage includes building names, room numbers, fire exits and car park signs. These signs are usually made from stainless steel or aluminium with a brushed or polished finish.
Regulatory
Regulatory signage is used to enforce the rules of an area. They are often found in car parks, on roadsides and in other public areas.
The most common regulatory signs are ‘no parking’ and ‘keep clear’ signs. These signs are usually made from aluminium with a reflective finish to make them visible at night.
Case Study
Derby City Council installed a series of wayfinding signs or wayfinding map panels in the autumn of 2008. The signs were produced in Glass Reinforced Plastic and mounted in steel frames – designed to allow the maps to be easily updated. An update took place in early summer 2009 when several of the maps were amended and updated with a new graphic design. The importance of a versatile framing structure is illustrated.
Technical Spec
Wayfinding signage needs to meet twin targets of being aesthetically attractive yet robust, durable and easy to clean. At the extremes, wayfinding signage must fit into the environment, please and be attractive to the average visitor and yet be robust enough to withstand potential vandalism on a Saturday night! Meeting these various goals is no easy task and Shelley Signs recommend Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) as an ideal solution to the problem.
Glass Reinforced Plastic or GRP, G.R.P. signs as a medium for wayfinding signs is produced locally in the UK. The GRP signage product offers excellent colourfastness and has a 5-year warranty against fading, offers a high resistance to impact damage and can be easily cleaned. Both environmental grime or dirt and the more challenging graffiti can be easily removed from the surface of GRP wayfinder signs or panels. This meets an important objective in keeping wayfinding signs in pristine condition for visitors.
Framing structures for wayfinding signs can vary depending on the environment, style and the amount of space in which they are being located. While similar information in a country park interpretive panel would often be mounted on a lectern frame at a 45-degree angle the greater restrictions on space in a town centre environment usually dictate wayfinding signs are vertically mounted.
It is equally important that wayfinding signage is consistent in terms of style, colours and finish material with other street furniture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finger post signs are used for directing visitors around open spaces material options include oak, treated softwood, recycled plastic and steel posts with printed finger arms.
Some common types of wayfinding signs include finger posts, bollards, and directional signage. Each type serves a different purpose in helping visitors find their way.
Timber Bollards are a versatile and effective way of communicating and influencing the behaviour of visitors to country parks and public open spaces. They can be discreet and very simple or large and contain a range of information including printed graphics. Directional bollards are normally produced in timber. They can be in oak, pressure treated softwood or recycled plastic.
A wayfinding sign is a directional sign that helps people navigate their way through an environment, such as a city or park.
Waymarker discs are a popular and low-cost means of directing visitors around open spaces and influencing their behaviour. Commonly 76mm diameter the standard waymarker discs are for Footpaths, Bridleways, cycle routes & restricted access but we produce individual waymarkers with route names, crests, logos and colours to suit. Waymarkers can be produced at any size to suit.
Finger post signs are taller than a bollard and typically have an arm extending out from it with text or symbols indicating where to go. Bollards are shorter, squat posts that are often used to control traffic flow in a park setting. They can also include waymarker discs or routed images.
Waypoint markers are used to indicate specific points of interest, while directional signs help people navigate their way through an environment. Waypoint markers can be attached to existing structures making them a low-cost option for directing visitor flow in open space environments.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as each type of material has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific application. However, in general, wooden directional signage is more discreet and can be stained or painted to match the environment, while metal signs are more durable and weather-resistant.
Directional Finger Posts
Finger posts are used for directing visitors around open spaces material options include oak, treated softwood, recycled plastic and steel posts with printed finger arms.
