15 Common Mistakes / Blunders in Wayfinding Design in Healthcare
Since there are hardly any opportunities to test wayfinding design as a system within a hospital, innovation is slow.
This means we keep making the same mistakes, because if you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got.
When you see paperwork, you can be sure something is wrong. But if you look closer and notice the following things, you know something isn’t right either. 😊
Here are the 15 Common Mistakes / Blunders you often see in Wayfinding Design in Healthcare:
Assuming that signage alone across the hospital is sufficient to help patients find their way.
Implementing a digital wayfinding solution that requires patients to download an app first.
Not supporting patient wayfinding from every location to every location within the hospital.
Using medical terms or specialties to convey wayfinding information on signage, or use route numbers in digital solutions.
Allowing your organization, feedback groups, or patient boards to dictate the wayfinding design. Wayfinding design suffers from too many opinions, so co-creation is unrealistic.
Thinking you can create a single, entirely inclusive wayfinding solution.
Designing one system intended for simultaneous use by patients, visitors, suppliers, and all employees.
Including (digital) figurative hospital indoor maps with (digital) appointment confirmations, and placing You Are Here maps at entrances.
Using directory signs with clinic check-ins, at entrances.
Managing wayfinding can be done by just simply maintaining the signs.
Virtually splitting the hospital into building sections without architectural justification.
Believing that testing a few signboards for legibility or having people walk a few routes is sufficient to evaluate the entire wayfinding design.
Assuming wayfinding design is successful if it is aesthetically pleasing. Wayfinding design is not about showcasing artistic skills; it should be functional.
Attempting to solve wayfinding problems with volunteers stationed at the entrances.
The thinking that wayfinding problems are not costly
Do you recognize more than 3? Then you might want to contact us :-)
