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The Wacky World of Restroom Directional Signs: A Guide to Lavatory Enlightenment

Imagine, you go to a company’s office for an interview for a job of your dreams. But — oops — you are a little bit worried and you need access to a restroom immediately to get rid of those worries. What will you do? You are not willing to start your new professional journey with uncomfortable questions about a toilet. Your goal is to make the best possible impression, and small talk about a lottery is not the best ground for that.

Luckily, there is such a wonderful tool as a restroom directional sign! Now you can forget about uncomfortable conversations with strangers — arrows will show the way.

No Hurries — You will Find It Quickly!

Now, let us talk a little bit seriously. Restroom directional signs are indeed important tools in terms of interior planning. Wandering around the corridors is not the best idea, especially if you can not hold it any longer. Everything will be much simpler if you are able to find a plaque on the wall and instantly identify the way you need to navigate to the restroom.

Luckily, these days, most public places are equipped with these and other plates. What is more important is that this stuff is even regulated by special laws. According to the ADA, permanent areas (a restroom is indeed a permanent area) must be identified with ADA-compliant markers to simplify wayfinding for disabled individuals.

Durability Matters

It is time to take a look at this question not from the perspective of the visitor but from the perspective of the place owner. Do you want to provide your visitors with maximum comfort conditions within your environment? Of course, you do, but for that, you need to spend some time and effort in search of high-quality items.

Do not underestimate the importance of restroom directional sign quality. We are not going to delve deep into their informational significance. It is obvious that they play a crucial role in a wayfinding system. We just want to give you an important hint — if you choose a high-quality and durable item, you invest only once. A sign might fade out under different conditions, and you, obviously, do not want to keep such things in your place. So, pay attention to long-living materials rather than mass-market stuff that will not live through the first cleaning session.

Several Important Tips

  • Color contrast: Black and white are both best rivals and allies. When applied to an interior sign, they make up a perfect combination because it is easy to distinguish white writing on the black background plate or vice versa.
  • Simplicity of fonts: Sometimes, everyone has a feeling that making something sophisticated will bring a favorable advantage over others. The choice of font on the restroom directional signs is not the case. The simpler choice you make, the more understandable and readable your signs will be.
  • Placement: Obviously, you do not want to misguide your visitors. So, make sure that a restroom directional sign leads to a restroom but not a meeting room!

All the things written above seem obvious but even with that understanding many still fail to choose and use restroom directional signs properly. Be aware not to fall into that trap of misguidance!