PG 18-10 Signage Design Manual May 16, 2023

Master Plan Fundamentals of Wayfinding

1.2.3 MASTER PLAN

Why You Need a Master

Plan
For new facilities, the wayfinding master plan is typically developed in conjunction
with the architectural master plan. At aging facilities, a holistic analysis of
wayfinding is needed to truly improve the navigation experience. A wayfinding
master plan takes a medical center’s complex floorplans and long list of
departments, sub-services, and destinations and creates a logical hierarchy of
information that improves a visitor’s ability to navigate the environment.
A well-designed software user interface feels fluid and effortless to use. Similarly,
when wayfinding works well, it reduces confusion, anxiety, and friction. Like
software, a well-designed wayfinding master plan reduces complexity by applying
principles of Progressive Disclosure. For instance, it would be extremely confusing
to navigate a software application that showed every menu option in the entire
system all at once. For the same reason, listing too many destinations on signage
because there is not an effective wayfinding plan can do more harm than good.
Once complete, the wayfinding master plan and resulting documentation of
strategy, design, signage system standards, and nomenclature will establish the
foundation for an effective system and ensure the quality and consistency of future
projects, ongoing maintenance, and updates.
Components of a Master
Plan:
1. Analysis & Design: Through a series of on-site assessments, staff interviews,
and patient surveys, the wayfinding designer can evaluate conditions and tailor
solutions to meet the facility’s unique needs. Patient surveys and staff
interviews are critical as they often reveal pain points that go unnoticed under
casual observation. This research often reveals that the distinction between
floors is less important than the clear identification of areas, primary paths, and
destinations on the same floor. When patients and visitors are lost, they are
typically on the right floor, but confused in the maze of departments and halls.

Figure 1-18 A wayfinding master

plan reduces the complexity of
information and simplifies the
wayfinding experience by creating
a logical structure of the space.

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Master Plan Fundamentals of Wayfinding

Components of a Master
Plan: (Continued)
2. Information Hierarchy: After thoroughly analyzing the facility’s environments
and visitor experience, a logical hierarchy of information is developed to help
guide visitors from general to specific destinations. The resulting system
establishes naming conventions and how the campus and facility are divided
to simplify and improve wayfinding. The following list provides a breakdown of
the potential areas that comprise an information hierarchy for a typical large
medical center:
• Campus: The campus or facility name is at the top level of the hierarchy
representing the entire property of the VA location.
• Campus Regions & Entrances: Large campuses may be divided into
multiple regions, such as “East Campus” and “West Campus,” and have
several named entrances to help visitors determine where to enter or exit
the campus.
• Parking Lots / Structures: Campuses with multiple parking lots or
structures require a naming system to distinguish them. Typically, they are
named by letter, number, color, or function, such as “Visitor Lot”. Where
applicable, parking lots should indicate which building and/or services it is
associated with.
• Buildings & Building Groups: Campuses with several buildings may be
referred to by their number, but in many cases, the numbers are non-
sequential and difficult for visitors to remember. In these cases, buildings
(or groups of connected buildings) may be given names for easier
distinction.
• Building Entrances and Elevators: Buildings will often have multiple
entrances and elevator banks that each require logical naming
conventions to help visitors choose and find the correct one.
• Floor Area Divisions: Buildings or clusters of buildings with poor
architectural definition may be divided into wings (“North Wing” / ”South
Wing”) or named zones (“Historic Hall”). Each zone or wing may contain
multiple departments.

Figure 1-19 This example shows the

facility being split into two “wings”,
“North Wing” and “South Wing” to
better define the space. Elevators
were then named after the areas
(“North Elevators” and “South
Elevators”) to create a logical structure
that simplifies wayfinding.

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Master Plan Fundamentals of Wayfinding

Components of a Master
Plan: (Continued)

• Primary Pathways: In some instances, connecting corridors critical to

wayfinding can be named and defined to help simplify navigation in
complex environments.
Figure 1-20 Example of branding a
Primary Pathway. Now patients can
easily be guided to follow this long
primary pathway that connects
multiple buildings and entrances.
Architectural signage and branding
elements re-assure patients as they
navigate through the multiple turns,
decision points, and changes in
architecture on this path.

• Departments, Clinics, and Check-Ins: In wayfinding design, it is

necessary to guide patients to check-in locations which may or may not
be the same as the department / service. This is because departments
may have multiple check-in locations for sub-services. Conversely,
multiple departments or services may be grouped together with a single
check-in location. Therefore, the list of wayfinding destinations should
be organized by check-ins which may differ from department names.
Whenever possible, check-in locations should be named in simple terms
for easy comprehension by patients and visitors. For the list of VA/VHA
approved department names, refer to the VHA Standardized
Nomenclature document in Section 4.3 Nomenclature.

Figure 1-21 Creating a logical

information hierarchy and grouping
services by check-in, effectively
reduces the number of destinations
and simplifies the wayfinding
experience.

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Master Plan Fundamentals of Wayfinding

Components of a Master
Plan: (Continued)
3. Signage System Standards
Based on the wayfinding analysis and information hierarchy, a signage system
standard is designed within the parameters of the VA Signage Design Manual.
This set of drawings and specifications establishes the facility-specific design
and component-based signage system to be used in both current and future
projects. The following items are typically included in the document:

• Family of Components (Drawings): Scaled drawings and

specifications for all necessary sign types in the wayfinding system.
This may also include components outside the current project scope
to be used in the future. For elevation drawings of typical VA sign
components, see Section 3 Sign Type Drawings.
• Colors: Detailed color palette and color match specifications.
• Finishes: Palette of special materials and finishes such as metals and
decorative laminates.
• Graphics: Any custom graphics or artwork created for the project.
• Updatable Insert Templates: Static signs should allow for easy
message updates. For insert-based signs, updatable templates
should be created for consistent design and layouts.

Figure 1-22 Example drawings of

a family of components from a
sign system standards document.

4. Facility Directory (Patient Services List)

The facility directory lists all clinical departments including sub-services,
amenities, and associated check-ins. It should be updated frequently to reflect
the facility's current conditions and be consistent with other sign messaging.

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Master Plan Fundamentals of Wayfinding

Components of a Master
Plan: (Continued)
5. Location Plans & Message Schedule
Sign Location Plans are a set of modified floor plans that place numbered
location tags of relevant signs in each area of the project. The numbered tags
correspond to a record in the Message Schedule, which details the sign type,
message, and other details. NOTE: It is recommended that the programming
of these items be done in phases at the time of implementation. If done during
the master planning phase, changes are likely to occur, and additional surveys
will be required before implementation.
6. Wayfinding System Overview & Training Guide
A training guide should be created and distributed that explains how the
wayfinding system works, the logic of the information hierarchy, naming
conventions, and how to properly give directions using the system.

Figure 1-23 How a visitor may

comprehend wayfinding information
and plan their route based on a
logical Information Hierarchy. Staff
should be able to provide directions
in a similar straightforward manner.

Section 1.2.3 45