We wanted to share the intrdocution and summary infromation for ASI’s latest whitepaper, “Pathways to Success: The Benefits of Wayfinding Signage,” which is being widely read among architects, designers and facility managers involved in the healthcare industry. “Effective and appropriate wayfinding solutions don’t happen by accident but instead require careful planning and forethought. In order to derive the greatest financial benefits, an organization must integrate wayfinding at the beginning of its facility’s design and construction process rather than at the end. Fortunately, modern wayfinding solutions – from flexible modular signs to interactive digital displays – excel in meeting just about every need an organization may have, whether it’s enhancing a visitor’s experience throughout a facility or reinforcing the organizational brand, or both.

You don’t need an intimate knowledge of the history and science of wayfinding to understand its critical importance in your life. Good signage can get you from Point A to Point B, but without a carefully constructed wayfinding plan, signage without strategy isn’t wayfinding – it’s visual clutter.

Imagine yourself standing in the middle of a hospital lobby, with corridors radiating in three different directions. You know where you should be – say, the maternity ward – but not necessarily how to get there. Hospitals in the 21st century, of course, are defined by change. Their architecture is in constant flux, with mergers, architectural renovations, construction detours, and even housekeeping emergencies effecting rapid shifts in the way traffic flows. You realize that wayfinding isn’t simply about signs but about guiding people smoothly and effortlessly through the confusing thicket of change and transition that makes up modern life.”

If you’d like to read the complete wayfinding whitepaper, click here to download the PDF.