Follow the signs

WAyfinding used to mean little more than signage to the bathrooms and emergency exits. But as the workplace becomes increasingly deconstructed – gone are the days of the isolated cubicle, replaced by a matrix of breakout zones and communal spaces – designers are using graphic tools to help create a sense of openness and connection, enabling new ways of communicating at the same time as creating a renewed sense of place.

Increasingly, graphic markers are being integrated into buildings, anchoring staffff in their activities throughout the day. “Designing wayfifinding is about giving people an experience, allowing them to navigate even a very complex space in a stress-free, positive way,” says Carlo Giannasca, head of environments at Urbanite, part of the Frost Collective. For their award-winning work on 1 Martin Place, Sydney, Giannasca says the team used “bold, oversized type treatments to difffferentiate work zones, allowing users to create mind maps and enhance communication between colleagues”.

In the digital sphere, wi-fifi-connected wayfifinding softftware will enable workers and clients to GPS-navigate their way through more and more complex ofce spaces, never missing a meeting and perhaps even making friends along the way. The quantififiable results of efcient wayfifinding include lower decision fatigue, better communication and time use plus a culture of inclusiveness. Without those things, quite frankly, your business is lost.