Office Wayfinding Systems That Guide People

• Multi-storey offices with several lifts or stair cores.
• Large single floors with long corridors or several wings.
• Shared buildings with multiple tenants and visitors.
• Medical, legal and government suites where people arrive stressed and unfamiliar.
• Offices that have been extended or merged, where the layout is no longer obvious.

A simple office may only need a few key signs. A complex one needs a plan.

A wayfinding system usually combines several sign types:

• Identification signs that name a destination, such as a department or room.
• Directional signs with arrows and lists of destinations at decision points.
• Floor and level signs at lifts and stairs, often large enough to read from the lift lobby.
• Regulatory and amenity signs for toilets, exits and fire equipment.
• Floor graphics where a line or arrow on the ground is the clearest guide.
• Maps and directories for lobbies, discussed on our office directory boards page.

Wall and ceiling-hung signs are usually aluminium, stainless steel or acrylic with printed, cut or engraved graphics. Projecting double-sided signs are common for corridors. Floor graphics use a slip-resistant laminate on vinyl. For a calm look, the material and finish are repeated across all signs while only the symbol and text change. See materials and finishes.

Most office wayfinding is unlit and relies on the building lighting. Illuminated signs are worth considering for fire exits, stair cores or dark windowless corridors, but emergency and exit signage is a regulated matter and the correct specification must be confirmed with your building owner or a competent person. We can add backlit panels where appropriate, subject to technical assessment.

• Choose office door signs for the final room identification at a door.
• Choose internal architectural sign systems when the whole building needs one design language, including reception and amenity signs.
• Choose floor graphics and decals for queue lines, one-way routes and short-term guidance.
• Choose office directory boards for the lobby listing of who is where.
• Choose corporate campus signage when the route continues outdoors between buildings.

This page fits best when the problem is movement through one building.

• Decision points: signs belong where people choose a direction, not in the middle of long corridors.
• Viewing distance and size: as a rough guide, many designers allow around 25 mm of letter height per 10 m of viewing distance. Corridor signs are often viewed side-on, so we adjust text size and mounting position. We confirm on site.
• Contrast and symbols: consistent arrows and pictograms read faster than long text.
• Mounting: ceiling-hung signs need a suitable fixing above the ceiling grid. Wall signs depend on the substrate.
• Approvals: building owners and body corporates often have signage rules and fire-safety requirements. We check what applies during the survey and design stage.

• Number of signs and sign types.
• Size of the building and floors covered.
• Planning time for a route survey and message schedule.
• Materials and finishes, including double-sided or hung signs.
• Floor graphics versus wall graphics.
• Phasing the installation to avoid disrupting staff.

Dust and wipe signs with a damp cloth. Floor graphics need the correct cleaning chemistry and should be checked for edge lift in busy traffic zones. Keep a record of the sign schedule so we can reproduce a sign exactly if layouts change. Our maintenance page explains how we can help with repairs.

We survey and install by appointment from Rivonia. Multi-tenant and multi-floor offices are common in the business districts and parks across the province.

Popular areas: Sandton, Rosebank, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Midrand, Centurion.