Wall & Wayfinding Signs Branding & navigation signage for businesses 

The majority of the times when we refer to wall signs at Glyphics we are talking about signs destined to be mounted onto a wall and built with branding, advertising and decoration in mind, as opposed to being expressly for informational purposes. These can be stand alone signs or integrated within a wayfinding scheme. Think of 3D logos, a neon quote, or a wall graphic that's been hand painted or custom made from vinyl, to name a few.

Wall signs are integral to the environmental architecture of most businesses, helping them get noticed and spark curiosity, light up dark corners and lend a little tlc to dull spaces, and bring a brand's visual language to wayfinding schemes.

Wayfinding systems are signposted journeys that allow people to find the best way around a space, whether your blueprint is simple or complex. Wayfinding signs are the tools that manifest wayfinding systems into reality.

Well thought out wayfinding systems with well made wayfinding signs simplify the experience of navigating spaces, and therefore enhance it. Easy to understand signs that are consistent in style and inclusive to all can eliminate the often underestimated stress of finding your way around a given place, and are at the core of our wayfinding service.

We can help develop a bespoke wayfinding system and once one is in place, we'll provide a range of signs including directories, floor level numbers, space identification and directional signage, catering to your specific needs and those of your users.

Well designed, intelligently placed and inclusive wayfinding signs create an easy flow for the people they serve, and make spaces accessible. Being lost is one of the worst feelings in the world - wayfinding signs give users confidence, as well as a sense of safety and security. 

Be it a building or an external space, wayfinding signs offer clear, concise and visual guidance on how to navigate different environments. Overall, these signs will serve your visitors, employees or residents best when the most direct journey between the starting point and destination is clearly shown.  

Speaking broadly, you'll typically want to present destinations at entry, with place names and locations providing the key to begin navigation. For ease, you'll then need to reinforce information at every point that the customer needs to make a decision such as arriving on a new floor or coming to a crossroads in a corridor, identifying the spaces nearby with small directories. Last but not least, you'll want to signpost destinations in the main walkways available with direction signs, as well as identify or mark them where they are with room numbers and name or logo signs.

Alongside placement there are many other layers to wayfinding that need to be considered, for example, leaning on landmarks as orientation anchors and implementing a minimalist colour coding system to create identities for different spaces. For help planning your wayfinding system, contact us.

If you don’t already have a wayfinding system planned out, we’re here to help. We’ve been helping our clients plan new wayfinding schemes, or enhance existing ones, for decades, it's our bread and butter, and if we're honest, a challenge we relish! If your space is large or complex, popping an up-to-date floor plan into our inbox (hello@glyphics.co.uk) will allow us annotate your sign positions and directions.

Wayfinding signs and wayfinding systems in general should be as inclusive as possible and clear. The text included should be visible and easy to read (upper and lower case type, in sans serif is suggested) with good contrast.

Best practice guidelines to adhere to include; positioning signs at eye level where possible and installing them in places that aren't overcrowded with information, displaying orientation cues in as short and sharp a manner as possible, and not overloading routes with navigational choices, to name a few. Contact us here for more information and advice on compliance and accessibility. 

Choices around look and feel often depend on striking a balance between design and function. Overall, we'll consider if your branding lends itself to particular sign types and/or materials, or if your messaging requirements dictate the build.

For example, you might go for a matt acrylic 3D sign to achieve an understated professionalism, a mirror finish metal directory for its slickness, laser cut wooden wayfinding signs to go a little earthier, a brushed metal for something more industrial or glass for a classic finish.

We offer a wide range of sign types such as 3D signs, illuminated signs, or flat signs made out of vinyl, acrylic, metal or wood. We also make traditional glass signs and artisan signs using techniques such as hand painting and gilding. These have organised these as clearly as possible for you on our website, but if you need further assistance we are happy to answer any questions you've got. Call us on 020 7739 7818 or send us a message here.

With wall signs we'll be thinking about things like the effectiveness of design, the lighting around your sign, the presence and placement of a sign, as well as the sizes, finishes, styles and fixings that fit and serve the environment, while wayfinding signs ask for the added consideration of navigation routes and sign legibility.

We can advise on strategic elements as well as the little details, and will work with you to create solutions that are custom to your space while remaining functional for your needs.

If your visual language is well established, matching with characteristics such as colour, typeface and kerning will be a key part of the design phase, allowing us to align with your brand. Send us your guide and we can get going from there.

In most cases, our clients come to us without the specifics to hand. We are a creative sign company that specialises in ideation and design, so we consider it our job to help you figure out the designs and signage that work best for you. The best way to start is by providing us a photo of your space, communicate your signage goals (whether it is for directional or advertising purposes, attracting attention or broadcasting key information about a space), share examples of signs you like, as well as any information you may have related to the size of and special considerations for the host surface.  Depending on your specific needs and how much information you have provided, a signage survey or site visit can be scheduled to help us help you.

Largely speaking, yes - some signs can weather a storm in their raw form and others can be made hardier. We'll work closely with you to select the most suitable materials for the environment of your signage, and we'll also walk you through the ins and outs of maintaining its condition.

Costs vary from project to project, and factor in the variables of our signage options. Having a budget in mind is very helpful as it allows us to offer you services that correspond. With that said, please don’t feel that by telling us what you are prepared to spend means that we are prepared to spend it all. We will work closely with you to come up with a package that matches your capacity, as well as manage expectations on quality and cost of the materials, designs and quantities to use.

We usually need 3-5 working days for simple (self-coloured or printed vinyl projects) signage. For more complex signage (signs that require laser cutting, fabrication, lighting or painting) we require from 10-12 working days depending on the complexity and quantity needed. Overall, the lead time depends on receiving client sign off on artwork, as well as how fast payments for production are processed.

Yes. We offer installation services for all our signs. Based on your request, we can schedule a time that suits. Please note that we will need to visit your space to check positioning, which fixings are required, equipment access, and any health and safety considerations before an installation is booked in and undertaken. Please contact us here to make an enquiry.

We don't offer off-the-shelf products, as all of our work is customised to your requirements.

Wall signs and wayfinding signs in particular are our bread and butter. Whether you want to attract attention with a business sign or provide clear, concise and consistent communication with direction signage, we strive to realise your goals and deliver signs to your brief.

Making signs since 1985 means we’ve grown with the industry, and sourced a specialist team as well as quality providers for our products over the years. We provide a wealth of style and fabrication techniques, and spend our time helping you through the processes of ideating, ordering/producing and installing bespoke signage.

With a collective of artists and crafters within our team, our services are enriched by a variety of disciplines, with design at the helm - so if requested, we will happily take the creative lead. As a result we have ongoing relationships with a high proportion of our clients and our happy customers include the Workspace Group, London Zoo, and Sadlers Wells.