Signs are read in a hurry

A sign has about two seconds. People reading it are carrying something, running late, or looking for a toilet.

So we test wayfinding by walking the route with a suitcase and a phone in one hand. If the next decision is not obvious from where you are standing, the sign is in the wrong place — and no amount of typography will fix that.

Our rule of thumb: one message per sign, the arrow first, and the same word for the same place everywhere.