Request a callbackA good wayfinding strategy can make the world of difference to patients and visitors.
Visiting a hospital or health centre can be a stressful experience, especially if you are unwell or visiting a sick love one. Poor wayfinding can heighten stress levels as the last thing you need is to feel lost.
Healthcare environments are unusual in the fact that they tend to have a very high level of building churn on a daily basis, making good wayfinding scheme essential.
what is wayfinding?
Well, for starters it’s not all about signs, which is funny considering this blog article is being written by someone who works for a sign company.
Wayfinding refers to information systems that guide people through a physical environment and enhance their understanding and experience of the space.
A good wayfinding provider will also look at the journey as a whole not just what happens when you arrive on site. Reviewing pre-visit correspondence, methods of travel and information provided online are just as important – research is crucial to delivering a successful solution.
Wherever possible, wayfinding should be inclusive, considerations should be made for persons with disabilities, whether that be physical or mental (e.g. Dementia).
how to?
It’s impossible to encapsulate everything that needs to be considered within this article, but our approach is to follow a three phased process, a brief outline is as follows:
Phase 1 – Research
- Audit of existing signage provision
- Stakeholder meetings
- Review of pre-visit correspondence
- Dummy appointments
- Patient surveys
- Review of arrival methods and current integration with public transport and highways
Phase 2 – Development and Testing
- Wayfinding masterplan
- Sign family testing
- Design of new correspondence
- Development of legible mapping
- Prototyping
- Review and soft testing of strategy prior to implementation
Phase 3 – Implementation
- Adoption of new correspondence templates
- Improved integration with public transport
- Manufacture and installation of new signage
- Potential use of colour reinforcement and landmarking
If you would like to know more about how to improve your wayfinding provision, feel free to contact us for an initial chat on 08000 24 24 81 or you can request a call back by clicking here.
about us
Whatever the size of requirement, from a small refurbishment project through to a complete wayfinding or branding solution, Mödel will work with you to ensure the project is delivered successfully.
We work with healthcare establishments throughout the UK, delivering signage and wayfinding schemes. We understand the importance of delivering signage that enhances your establishment and is in keeping with your brand, whilst still providing clear and consistent wayfinding for patients, visitors and staff.
We are a nationwide company and have consultants, project managers and installation engineers based throughout the UK. This ensures we can always offer a high level of service both nationally and at a local level. For your piece of mind, all of our staff are DBS checked.