In a recent interview with Amanda Cawood, Managing Partner of the Modulex office in Norway, we delved into the intricacies of designing effective wayfinding signage for retirement homes. Amanda shared her insights and experiences, highlighting the unique challenges and thoughtful strategies involved in ensuring clarity and ease of navigation for seniors.
First, Amanda emphasized the importance of signage serving its function while representing the brand and catering to the users. “In retirement homes, our audience is older adults, so we aim to create an environment that feels more like a home and less like a hospital,” she explained. The process begins by identifying necessary signs and their purposes, acknowledging that, unlike homes where people inherently know their way around, retirement homes require strategic signage to assist residents, visitors, and staff. Thorough analyses are conducted to meet everyone’s needs, from branding to the clients, who are the residents.
Intuitive Signage Placement and Colour Contrast
Clear messaging is paramount in accommodating elderly residents. “We focus on consistent naming and visual design, ensuring high contrast for visibility,” Amanda noted. Natural placements for signs in communal areas and corridors are essential. It is important to differentiate between informational signs for everyone and functional signs for residents, such as room numbers and laundry rooms. Official signs incorporate tactile elements and Braille to cater to all users, ensuring accessibility and clarity.
Signage placement must be intuitive and accessible for seniors with varying mobility levels. “We prioritize signs that need to be physically accessible, such as those for toilets and nurse call stations,” Amanda said. Strict recommendations for sign placement and height ensure accessibility for people in wheelchairs—Modulex designs for diverse mobility needs by adhering to these guidelines, providing safe and intuitive navigation.
Colour contrast is another important factor in enhancing visibility and comprehension. “Darker signs with lighter text provide better contrast, especially since a 65-year-old’s contrast vision is significantly reduced compared to a 20-year-old’s,” Amanda explained. Softer, darker colours that align with the brand are used, ensuring the signs stand out enough for clear visibility, even for those with diminished contrast vision or colour blindness.
Pictograms, Braille, and Tactile Elements
Balancing clarity and aesthetics is essential. “We use a universal language in our designs, ensuring signs convey essential information without clutter,” Amanda stated. The colour palette plays a significant role in maintaining a warm, homey atmosphere. Each floor is colour-coded, helping residents, especially those with cognitive impairments, navigate intuitively. For example, if a resident is on the red floor, all related elements and signage incorporate that colour, reinforcing familiarity and ease of navigation.
To address potential challenges such as cognitive decline or visual impairments, Modulex employs a multi-layered approach. “We incorporate pictograms, Braille, tactile elements, and high contrast. As we consider the brand’s font, clear fonts are essential; legibility takes precedence,” Amanda emphasized. This holistic strategy ensures the signage system accommodates cognitive and visual impairments, making navigation straightforward for all users.
Designing wayfinding signage for retirement homes requires a delicate balance of functionality, brand representation, and user-centric design. At Modulex, we pride ourselves on creating environments that are not only navigable but also welcoming and aesthetically pleasing, ensuring that seniors can move through their journeys with clarity and confidence.
About Amanda Cawood
Amanda Cawood is the Managing Partner of the Norway office at Modulex. A seasoned professional with a project management and sustainability background, Amanda previously served as Head of Project Management and Sustainability Manager at the Sweden office at Modulex. Her extensive experience in sustainable visual communication uniquely positions her to lead the Norway team. Balancing her time between Sweden and Norway, Amanda is dedicated to driving innovation and sustainability within the Scandinavian signage industry.
