Sibylle Schlaich

“Accessibility, identity and innovation in wayfinding”

In hospitals, wayfinding plays a crucial role in guiding patients and visitors safely and efficiently through; especially people in stressful and worrying situations, for patients in challenging life situations and with limited options for action. Failing to find destinations or not showing up on time, e.g. at the scheduled point-of-care, sometimes leads to time delays, additional travel distances and costly search activities. Wayfinding pictograms play a significant role in helping to better overcome these challenges. They are also an opportunity to communicate in a more accessible way, to strengthen the design identity of the respective hospital and to promote innovative services if they are understood. 

More accessible through international comprehensibility

Pictograms are important for hospital wayfinding as they provide a universally understandable alternative to text, which is especially beneficial in multilingual environments where many may not know the local language. Their immediate recognizability allows for quick navigation, saving time and energy that would otherwise be spent deciphering text. Additionally, they offer a compact way to display complex hospital terminology.

Strengthening design and identity with pictograms

Pictograms in hospitals are both functional and integral to the facility's design identity, reflecting its values, philosophy, and character through specific choices in colors, shapes, and styles. These unique design elements not only enhance navigability but also strengthen the hospital's identity and help patients and visitors form an emotional connection to the environment. Furthermore, alongside traditional static signs, hospitals are increasingly adopting dynamic wayfinding systems that cater to individual orientation needs, utilizing clinic-specific pictograms familiar to smartphone users, thus easing in-house navigation.

Supporting innovation with pictograms

Pictograms significantly aid hospitals in adapting to changes and innovations by clearly guiding patients and visitors to both traditional and new services such as electric car charging stations, gender-neutral restrooms, and automated check-in areas. They are also integral to digital in-house navigation systems, providing clear visual routes through stairs, escalators, or elevators. By serving as visual anchors, pictograms enhance user experience and interaction with emerging technologies, improving access to various services and information within the hospital.

Biography
Sibylle Schlaich co-founded Moniteurs in 1994 – a Berlin-based design office specializing in wayfinding and information design. Together with her partner Heike Nehl and the Moniteurs team, they work on wayfinding projects for airports, museums, corporate headquarters and hospitals, like the Charité in Berlin and the Braunschweig Municipal Hospital that is currently being transformed into one of the biggest Central Hospitals in Germany.