How do you solve a problem like digital wayfinding?

We create wayfinding solutions that work for everyone. 

To do this, we use human psychology and good design to solve persistent navigation problems. We excel at resolving issues that have encountered numerous design interventions, from ‘just add more signage’ to apps, apps and more apps. 

Recently, digital solutions are being touted as the solution to all wayfinding challenges. While they have the potential to improve navigation outcomes, making digital wayfinding truly inclusive is a challenge few have succeeded at. 

We’re all for the greater inclusion of digital technology into wayfinding solutions. But it cannot be driven by flashy tech or engineers alone. Its inclusion cannot add to user frustration. It needs to be incorporated as part of the whole solution. Above all, it needs to focus on people. 

Digital wayfinding is at its heart a design challenge – and it's one we’re looking to tackle, when the conditions are right. 

The rise of digital wayfinding

On top of the more traditional wayfinding tools (e.g. physical directional signage, architectural interventions, landscaping etc), more digitised solutions are increasingly being introduced to the wayfinding designer toolkit. Popularised by Google Maps, digital wayfinding solutions ideally enhance the user experience. 

Using a mix of digital signage on screens and digital signage software, digital wayfinding can include static solutions (e.g. digital screens), interactive solutions (e.g. 3D mapping) or portable signage (e.g. mobile application integration). 

Proponents of digital wayfinding systems will point to a number of convincing positives, while detractors have their own gripes when good intentions go bad. 

The pros of digital wayfinding

In the post-COVID era, digital can incorporate contact-free interaction screens to save on unnecessary direct contact. Being digital means greater ease of update, brand customisation and seasonal messaging. It also means less printing, which is easier on the environment. 

Supporters of digital will also point to the fact that the system elements such as kiosks, room signs and directional signage are relatively easy to install and expand as a building or facility grows. It gets a nod from accessibility advocates too, as digital maps can be customised to be easier to read for those with vision impairments or enhanced with audible messages. 

More technology on hand can also mean less staff is needed to direct visitors to their destination, freeing up employees to complete higher level tasks, or alternatively, less staffing costs. 

But this ideal situation is rarely the reality. More often than not, the detractors' concerns will rear their head throughout the user’s wayfinding experience. Especially if the digital solution has been haphazardly applied to a fundamentally flawed and ill-conceived wayfinding design. 

When digital wayfinding goes bad

When digital wayfinding doesn’t work, it really doesn’t work. 

Not all users will have the same level of technical proficiency. While many users will be familiar with mobile application maps, this doesn’t apply to everyone. For some, the learning curve to properly engage with any digital system may be too steep. The result? Poor adoption of the digital elements and negative user association with the experience and the place they had it in. When designers aren’t involved, the audience appropriateness of a digital solution can be sidelined, to the detriment of all parties involved. 

While many digital systems may be touted as ‘easy-to-use’, there is still an underlying need for technical expertise when updates need to be made. If the information being displayed needs to be updated quickly, the right staff is required to make the changes. Incorrect information within a wayfinding system is a recipe for navigational disaster, potentially leading the user to the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Where technology is concerned, connection issues can and will happen. Being digital, these types of solutions are reliant on power or mobile connectivity to work as intended. If the freestanding wayfinding system is poor, no amount of digital overlay will stop the inevitable – lost people and lost time. 

Designing digital wayfinding that works

When we design a solution, we don’t consider any element separately from another. We detail the environment, the architecture, the information design at every stage of the user journey, landmarks, memorable features and typography as part of our solution design. All these elements help the user to form a ‘mental map’ of a space, assisting them to navigate both familiar and unfamiliar spaces with greater ease.  

The inclusion of digital technology has to be considered as one part of a holistic wayfinding approach. If included, it should provide the user with the right information, in the correct format and at the right time. It should increase the opportunity for greater accessibility and inclusivity, while also being approachable for all users. It should remove barriers to a good user experience, not add to them. 

Good digital wayfinding cannot only be a tech-driven solution. No matter the scale or type of digital system included in a wayfinding solution, it still needs to incorporate the basics of good wayfinding design. It has to be universally accessible, be connected to the surrounding environment, and be acutely aware of the user’s entire experience. 

Digital is not the catch-all for every wayfinding challenge. But when executed well, it can do the heavy lifting to enhance an experience, fill a knowledge gap and capture user attention for all the right reasons.