Digital Wayfinding

Designing digital wayfinding around real visitor journeys

Digital wayfinding is most useful when it answers the question a visitor has at the moment they need help. Someone may know the name of a clinic but not which building contains it. A student may know the faculty but not the room. A shopper may know the store but not the level. An interactive map can turn that destination into a route from the kiosk or starting point selected by the user.

Advertise Me’s digital wayfinding solution uses mapped destinations, dictated walkable paths and a smart routing algorithm. The system can be configured for indoor movement, outdoor connections or travel between buildings where the site information supports it. The map and directory are developed around the organisation’s building, campus, centre or venue rather than using a generic map that does not reflect the real visitor experience.

Map the building accurately

Planning should identify entrances, floors, stairs, lifts, corridors, facilities and the destinations people need to find. Hospitals may need wards, clinics, departments and specialists. Shopping centres may need stores, services and amenities. Universities may need faculties, buildings and rooms. Offices and event venues may need companies, meeting rooms, exhibition stands and facilities.

Make search simple

Visitors may use different words for the same destination, so search categories should use the terms the audience recognises. Quick buttons can highlight important facilities such as toilets, lifts or emergency exits where appropriate. The interface can be branded with the organisation’s logo, colours, typography and terminology. Multiple language support can also be considered when it is relevant to the visitor group.

Keep routes useful when the site changes

A route needs to reflect actual access. If a lift is unavailable, a corridor is closed or a department moves, the mapped information should be reviewed. The organisation should nominate who owns the destination list and who tells the system manager about changes. This update process is as important as the initial map because buildings and services change over time.

Digital wayfinding for hospitals and medical centres

Healthcare sites can be difficult to navigate because they often include multiple buildings, levels, entrances and services. A digital wayfinding kiosk at a main entrance, reception area or transition point can help visitors search for a clinic, ward, department, specialist or facility. A directory board can explain the available destinations while the interactive map provides a route.

Healthcare wayfinding should use plain language and consider accessibility, language needs and the needs of people who may be unfamiliar with the site. Advertise Me has delivered digital wayfinding and directory projects for hospital and health environments, including Liverpool Hospital-related work and other healthcare locations shown in the portfolio.

Digital wayfinding for shopping centres, campuses and venues

Shopping centres can use digital wayfinding to help customers find stores, services, amenities and destinations across multiple levels. A university can help students and visitors locate faculties, buildings and rooms. An event venue can help attendees find session rooms, exhibition stands, sponsors and facilities. An office building can provide an interactive directory for tenants, departments and meeting rooms.

Digital wayfinding can also support hotels, resorts, public venues, airports and transit environments when the required destinations and routes can be mapped and maintained. Advertise Me can assess the site information, visitor journey and hardware requirements before confirming the scope.

Wayfinding kiosks and related modules

A custom-built touchscreen kiosk can provide the main wayfinding experience. Depending on the project, the kiosk can also present news and communication, bus and train timetable information, surveys or custom integrations. Digital signage, Social Wall, ePosters and directory boards can be planned alongside digital wayfinding when the building needs more than navigation alone.

When requesting a digital wayfinding proposal, provide floor plans or maps, the destination list, entrances, levels, pathways, accessibility information, brand guidelines and possible kiosk locations. Examples of the questions visitors ask are also useful when creating search categories and quick links.

Digital wayfinding FAQs

How does digital wayfinding work?

A visitor selects a destination on an interactive screen. The system uses the configured map, walkable paths and routing logic to show a route from the kiosk or selected starting point.

Can the system work across multiple levels?

Yes. A site can be mapped across floors and buildings when the relevant destinations, stairs, lifts and paths are defined. Accessible and restricted routes should be included in planning.

Can a directory be updated?

Directory and destination information can be maintained as part of the configured solution. The update workflow depends on the system and the responsibilities agreed with the organisation.

Can digital wayfinding include public transport information?

Advertise Me offers bus and train timetable solutions that can be considered as an add-on where the required data and configuration are available.

Where does Advertise Me provide digital wayfinding?

Advertise Me is based in Sydney and supports digital wayfinding projects for hospitals, medical centres, shopping centres, universities, offices and venues across Australia.

Accessibility and visitor confidence in digital wayfinding

Visitors use a wayfinding kiosk under different conditions. Some may be in a hurry, unfamiliar with the building, carrying bags, attending an appointment or helping another person. The interface should therefore use plain labels, strong contrast, large touch targets and a route that is visually distinct from the surrounding map. The screen should make it obvious how to search, how to start again and what to do after a route is displayed.

Accessibility is also part of the mapped journey. During planning, identify lifts, ramps, accessible entrances, stairs, restricted areas and routes that may not be suitable for every visitor. The system should use the route information agreed with the organisation and should not imply that a path is available when it is not. Language support can be considered for locations that receive visitors who speak different languages.

Physical placement matters as much as software. A kiosk should be visible when a visitor arrives, have enough space around it and be positioned so the screen can be used comfortably. The organisation should also decide how the interface returns to its starting state after use and who checks that the directory and map remain current.

Digital wayfinding project checklist

Useful starting information includes the latest floor plans, building names, levels, entrances, destinations, accessible paths, facilities, brand guidelines, language requirements and proposed kiosk locations. List the terms visitors are likely to search for, not only the internal names used by staff. If the building changes regularly, define who supplies updates and how temporary closures are communicated.

Advertise Me can discuss whether a touchscreen kiosk, directory board, digital signage display or a combination of services best fits the visitor journey. Digital wayfinding is often strongest when it complements fixed signs and other information displays rather than trying to replace every sign in a complex site.