Where does the wayfinding journey start? You might think it begins at the placement of the first signpost or right at the location’s entrance. In fact, it actually starts even before the users arrive. It’s an important part of a person’s wayfinding journey and is crucial in offering an easy and seamless experience.
Think about it, what use is signage if no one can find their way to the place you’ve put it? There are a number of strategies you can use to ensure everyone’s wayfinding experience is excellent right from the beginning.
Wayfinding begins before a user leaves their home, and it’s important to give them an idea of where they’re going. For example, something especially important in today’s digital world is a map on the event or location’s website. If it is designed in the same way to the signage on the street, it can make the journey more consistent.
Another useful approach is to include information within an appointment letter that helps navigation. This can tell users some of the best entry points or where to park their car. It can also offer the route from the entrance to the appointment location. Tickets can function in a similar way. Obviously they won’t be able to show as much information, but they can offer some helpful navigation aides.
Once the user leaves the house, the wayfinding continues. If the website’s map works on mobile, it can be extra helpful for his stage of the journey. However, it’s still very important to have various types of information mark the way as the user travels. This can include traffic signs pointing in the event’s direction, or a voice on public transport which calls the right stop.
Having a connected signage strategy goes a long way in making the journey feel like it is moving you in the right direction. Keeping the design and navigation aides clear and consistent makes them easy to notice and follow. As well as this, zone, area and location markers can all be used in the pre-visit information. This means that when users come across them on their journey they will be instantly recognisable.
Arriving is great and discovering the area is perfect. Now, though, we need to leave a lasting impression of a good experience by facilitating people’s onward journey. This means there needs to be clear direction to transport, like taxis, parking and nearby stations. People might not leave the location the same way they arrived, so it’s very important to keep guiding them.
In either direction, it is especially helpful to guide people in a bespoke manner. You might want to provide journeys to and from the event through an email or app that are specific to each person. This keeps everybody’s navigation equally simple and easy, even once they’re leaving the event or location. You should also keep in mind accessibility. Some people have specific needs that need to be met so that information is properly clear to them. To keep their experience as easy as everybody else you should make sure you keep this in mind.