Tourist signage

Tourism is a very important sector in the global economy. Tourists travelling to cities, towns or the countryside, beaches and nature trails, generally do not have first-hand experience or knowledge of the area, particularly if they are first-time visitors.

Developing signage design for tourism has to solve these needs, ensuring correct positioning with all of the necessary information: informative elements; guides to user location within the area in which the most relevant destinations are present; directional signposts that guide users along the different routes; positional elements with destination explanations etc.

The requirement analysis for a tourism project must initially be carried out using the assumption that the visitor does not have any prior knowledge of place names or visual references of the area, ensuring that the project will be both intuitive and easy to understand, so as to reach the greatest possible number of people discovering the place for the first time.

The challenge is to make understanding signage and finding destinations as easy as possible.

The production aspect must also be adapted to each environment, with special care taken of the ergonomics and design of each element, so that they always respect the surroundings. Materials exposed to harsh weather or coastal conditions must be manufactured with the highest quality standards and finishes to avoid excessive wear and maintenance. Lighting for each fixture should also be designed to meet the same standards, with durability and easy maintenance in mind.

The best typographical solutions must be found, with pictograms to meet each requirement, and colour solutions that help best present the visual imagery and content of every sign. The use of internationally recognisable pictograms is of vital importance in these types of projects. Their familiarity will allow them to be easily seen and understood, in turn simplifying the process of quickly locating tourist destinations.