Wayfinding Signage in Tanzania: Designing a System, Not a Set of Signs

Wayfinding is a system, not a collection of signs. A visitor who cannot find the reception, the ward or the exit is a visitor who is late, stressed or unsafe. The design starts with the journey, not with the sign.

The audit is the first step. Walk the building as a first-time visitor: the entrance, the car park, the reception, the lifts, the corridors and the exits. Note where the decision points are and where the visitor hesitates. The hesitation is the sign location.

The hierarchy is the second. A wayfinding system has levels: the site, the building, the floor, the zone and the room. Each level has a different sign size, colour and position, and the visitor should be able to move from one level to the next without guessing.

The language is the third. Tanzania uses Swahili and English, and a public building may need both. The signs should use the language of the users, with a consistent terminology and a simple vocabulary. A sign that says a room number without a destination is not a wayfinding sign.

The accessibility is the fourth. The contrast, the height, the font size and the tactile or braille elements should meet the needs of a visitor with a visual impairment. The accessible route should be signed as clearly as the main route.

The installation is the fifth. A sign at the wrong height, behind a door or in a dark corner is a sign that does not work. The installation should be checked from the visitor's eye level and from the approach direction.

The maintenance is the sixth. A wayfinding system changes when the building changes. A new department, a renamed room or a closed corridor requires an update, and the system should be designed for a replacement without a full redesign.