Ideas & Inspiration From QPS’ Exhibition Team
Museums are meant to be fun.
Wandering from exhibit to exhibit, inspiration around every corner.
Buttons to push, switches to flick and levers to pull. The faces of kids lighting up as they work out what goes where and how.
What’s not so much fun is when you can’t find your way around. Get to one area to find out where you wanted to go is on the other side of the museum.
Marching from area to area (and back again) in order to see everything you wanted to.
And all this with your sweet children asking you repeatedly ‘where are we going next…..?’
This is why when we’re creating museum signage and wayfinding, we think deeply about how it should all work and how it should keep the visitor flowing around the venue.
There are numerous ways to create effective and inspiring museum graphics.
Fabricated wayfinding kiosks complete with maps to keep you in the know about where you are now and where you need to go next.
Cut out letters applied to walls (and ceilings, and floors) to help with finding destinations efficiently.
Museum Signage & Wallcoverings
One wayfinding application that is proving popular is the use of printable wallcoverings.
From large wallpaper murals explaining historic timelines to printed graphics incorporating iPads and TV screens, digital wallpapers are a simple yet incredibly effective way to add more interest to a museum’s displays.
The wallpapers we use are also fully fire retardant, anti-bacterial, and easy to fit using standard decorating techniques. There’s a myriad of textured options or a silky smooth version for maximum mural impact!
Foam PVC panels with graphics attached used to be the go-to option for most museum signage. However, with the push away from plastics plus the extra expense to remove the display once the exhibition has expired, you can see why wallcoverings have become the smarter option.
Museum Floorgraphics That Create Impact
Another innovative option for museum wayfinding is the use of floor graphics.
Simple directional arrows will guide the visitor around the intended flow but with digital print offering so many more inspiring opportunities, we can help you think outside the box.
Imagine high definition images laid out across the floor and joined up with bold, colourful wall graphics. Text panels over the flooring, up the stairs and throughout the halls.
Seriously inspiring museum signage!
For a more modern approach to signage for museums, big chunky letters can be routed out and placed off the walls on pins.
These panels lend a 3D feel to an exhibit and when the accompanying displays are also set off the wall, a sense of depth helps draw in the viewer.
As we said, museums should be fun and although signage and wayfinding need to be functional, can’t we also bring a bit of fun & innovation to it too?
For more information on some of the options we regularly use for interior signage, have a read through this post on the new Dispa board and this one that delves deep into exhibition panels and roller banners.
