Office signs have two audiences. Visitors need to find reception, the right meeting room and the restroom without asking. Employees need rooms that are easy to name, book and find, and spaces that stay private when they should. A good sign plan serves both without cluttering the walls.
Gogi Signs builds office signs for companies across New Jersey and New York City. This guide walks through what each audience needs, which signs the rules require and how to keep it all current.
In this guide
Visitors: From the Building Door to Reception
First impressions start at the lobby. In a 2018 survey by Proxyclick, a visitor management software company, 40 percent of office workers said a bad reception experience had hurt their view of a company, as reported by Workplace Insight. That survey was about the welcome, not signs, but signs set it up: a visitor who walks straight to the right desk starts in a better mood.
- Building directory. List your company the way visitors know it.
- Suite sign. Your name and suite number at the door.
- Reception sign. A logo wall or lobby sign that confirms they have arrived.
- Check in. A short sign with the steps, if visitors sign in on a tablet or at a kiosk.
The suite sign is the last step of a visitor route
Employees: Name Rooms So They Can Be Found
Meeting rooms named after cities or founders are fun, but staff and visitors still need to find them. Pair names with numbers that follow the floor plan, and put the same names in your booking system and on the door. Federal wayfinding standards ask for room numbers that stay consistent from floor to floor, according to the Defense Health Agency.
A simple slider tells people a room is in use
Which Office Signs Need Braille
Under the 2010 ADA Standards, signs that identify permanent rooms and spaces need raised characters and braille. That includes restrooms, offices, meeting rooms and stair doors. Directional and informational signs only need to meet the visual rules. Occupant names, company names and logos, building directories and signs that are up for seven days or less are exempt, according to the Access Board guide.
This is why many offices use a permanent tactile room number or room name with a changeable name strip. The room sign meets the ADA rules, and the name of the person inside can change without a new sign. See our name plates and ADA signs.
Name plates help visitors find the right person
Privacy Without Closing the Office In
Glass offices and meeting rooms look open, but people inside often want some privacy. Frosted window film in a band at seated eye level gives privacy while keeping the light. It can also carry your logo or a pattern. Frosted bands also make glass easier to see, which helps prevent people walking into it. See our window frosting.
Deliveries and Vendors
Couriers, food deliveries and vendors should not have to walk through reception. A clear sign for the delivery entrance or mailroom, with hours, keeps them out of the way. Inside, a short sign at the mailroom door can list where packages go.
Make the Reception Sign Work Hard
The reception sign is the one sign every visitor sees. A few tips:
- Place it in the line of sight from the elevator or entry door, not off to the side.
- Light it with a halo or a spotlight, so it reads from across the room.
- Keep it simple. Your logo and name, not your full list of services.
- Plan the wall. Heavy letters need blocking inside the wall and power for any lighting.
See our standoff signs for a simple way to mount a logo panel on glass or drywall.
Restrooms and Accessibility
Restrooms are one of the first things visitors look for. Put a directional sign at the main corridor turn and a tactile restroom sign on the latch side of each door. If you have a single user or family restroom, say so on the sign. Staff will thank you for fewer questions.
Departments and Shared Spaces
Department signs, kitchen signs, quiet zone signs and copy room signs help new hires find their way in the first week. Keep the wording short and the design the same as the rest of the office. Our sister company in New York shows how signs support company culture in improve organization culture with custom signage.
Safety Signs and NYC Building Rules
Sources: 1 RCNY 27 01; NYC Business
Many office safety signs are set by the building and fire codes. In New York City buildings with an elevator, every floor except the main entrance floor needs a sign at the elevator landing that reads In case of fire, use stairs unless otherwise instructed, with a floor diagram showing the stairs, and the top of the sign can be no higher than six feet, under rule 1 RCNY 27 01. The same rule requires floor numbers at least three inches tall inside each stair.
Larger NYC office buildings also need an FDNY accepted fire safety and emergency action plan, according to NYC Business. Your building manager usually handles these, but tenant signs should not block or clash with them. Our egress maps show the route out from each part of a floor.
Hybrid Work and Shared Desks
Many offices now share desks and book rooms by the day. That makes clear signs more important, not less. Number every desk and phone booth, show neighborhoods or zones on a simple floor map near the entrance, and use the same names in your booking app. A small sign at each zone entrance helps people find the desk they booked without walking every aisle.
Keep the Signs Current
Offices change often. Plan for it with changeable inserts on room signs, modular directories and vinyl names that can be swapped. Keep one list of every sign, its location and its wording, so updates are quick. Pixel Wraps, our sister graphics shop, makes the same point about keeping a message short and up to date in what should be included on a truck wrap.
An Office Sign Checklist
- Outside the suite. Directory listing and suite sign.
- Reception. Logo wall, welcome and check in signs.
- Rooms. Tactile room signs with numbers, names and changeable strips.
- Glass. Frosted bands for privacy and safety.
- Back of house. Delivery, mailroom, kitchen and copy room signs.
- Safety. Exit, stair and evacuation signs, coordinated with the building.
Planning a new space? Read interior sign planning for offices to time the signs with the build, and planning customer wayfinding for the route from the street.
Common Questions About Office Signage
What signs does an office need?
At a minimum: a directory listing, a suite sign, a reception sign, room signs, restroom and exit signs, and any safety signs your building requires. Most offices add privacy film, department and delivery signs.
Do office door signs need braille?
Signs that identify permanent rooms, such as offices, meeting rooms and restrooms, need raised characters and braille. Occupant names on those signs are exempt, which is why changeable name strips are common.
Should meeting rooms be named or numbered?
Both works best. A name is easy to remember, and a number that follows the floor plan helps people find the room.
How can we add privacy to glass meeting rooms?
Use a band of frosted window film at seated eye level. It adds privacy, keeps the light and makes the glass easier to see.
How do we keep office signs current?
Use changeable inserts, modular directories and a single list of every sign and its wording.
What signs are required in a NYC office building?
In buildings with an elevator, NYC requires a fire sign with a floor diagram at each elevator landing and floor numbers in each stair, along with exit signs and the accessibility rules.
Office Signs That Answer the Questions
We plan, build and install office signs that work for visitors and staff. See our office signs, then request a free quote.
Sources and further reading
- Workplace Insight: first impressions in office reception areas
- Defense Health Agency: wayfinding guidelines and signage standards
- U.S. Access Board: guide to the ADA standards, chapter 7 signs
- Signs NY: improve organization culture with custom signage
- NYC rule 1 RCNY 27 01: stair and elevator signs
- NYC Business: fire safety and emergency action plan
- Pixel Wraps: what should be included on a truck wrap
