Signage in commercial buildings
Commercial buildings can be busy spaces, with different businesses sharing the same entrances, reception areas, lifts and communal areas. Good signage helps visitors understand where they need to go from the moment they arrive, without filling the building with unnecessary information.
Where several businesses occupy the same building, the signage also needs to allow for change. Companies move, floors change and new occupiers arrive, so a well-planned system should make those updates straightforward without affecting the rest of the signage.
commercial buildings entrance
The entrance is where visitors need quick confirmation that they are in the right place.
Where several businesses share a building, the signage needs a clear hierarchy. The building identity may take priority, followed by occupier information and directions to reception or other key destinations.
Trying to give every business equal prominence can quickly make an entrance cluttered. Instead, the signage should give visitors the information they need at that particular point in their journey.
Once inside, a main directory can provide more detailed information about individual businesses, floors and suite numbers.
interchangeable directories
Businesses move, expand and change floors. New occupiers arrive and existing ones leave, so directories need to accommodate change from the outset.
A directory that looks good when a building first opens can become expensive to maintain if every occupier change means manufacturing a completely new sign.
Replaceable panels, inserts or graphics allow individual information to change while the main sign remains in place. The method will depend on the design and location, but planning for future updates can significantly extend the life of the signage.
It also helps maintain consistency. Rather than adding temporary printed signs or separate plaques whenever something changes, new information can become part of the existing system.
Aiding Wayfinding in Commercial Buildings
Once a visitor knows which business they need, the signage should make the rest of the journey straightforward.
Lift directories, floor identification and directional signs can guide people from reception to the correct level and then towards individual suites or offices.
The amount of information shown at each point matters. A visitor standing at reception may need to know which floor to travel to, but they don’t necessarily need detailed directions to the final office until they reach that floor.
Breaking the journey into stages keeps the information manageable and avoids signs becoming overloaded with destinations and arrows.
corporate brands
Commercial buildings often need to accommodate several different corporate identities within one overall signage scheme.
That doesn’t mean every occupier needs a completely different sign.
A consistent format, material or fixing method can maintain the visual identity of the building while still allowing individual company names and logos to appear where appropriate.
Reception areas, floor entrances and individual suites are usually better places for stronger occupier branding, while shared wayfinding areas benefit from a more consistent approach.
The result feels coordinated without removing the identity of the individual businesses within the building.
Coordinating Signage with the Wall Finish
The signage shouldn’t only work for the businesses occupying the building today.
Considering future changes during the design stage makes the system easier to manage over the life of the building. That could mean allowing space for additional occupiers, using replaceable information panels or choosing fixing methods that make updates straightforward.
It is also worth considering who will manage those changes. Setting a clear format for names, logos, typography and positioning helps prevent the signage from gradually becoming inconsistent as different businesses move in and out.
A well-planned system will adapt without losing the original design intent.
Planning signage for a commercial building? Speak to Norsign about developing a signage and wayfinding. Systems that work for your building now and can adapt as its occupiers change.
Contact us by email hello@norsign.co.uk or by calling 01698 713399
