Written by Brittany Kleinman: The moment you step off that plane in a foreign country your excitement and anticipation for the outside world is quickly squandered when you realize you don’t speak Arabic and you need to find the bathroom. It is in these desperate moments, well-designed Airport signage can be the barrier between you and your destination. Generally overlooked by the typical traveler, Airport signage design is a combination of art and science taking into consideration the visual environment, travelers’ flow, and architectural space.

Imagine if you had to design a way-finding system that needed to cater to thousands of travelers that don’t speak the same language but all need the same things and in a hurry. Signage specialist Sander Baumann from Amsterdam has put together a collection of images that showcase the world of airport communication. Sander explains that when designing signage for an Airport or public building, you have to take good notice of the visual surroundings the signage will be placed in. For international airports it is vital to create an illustrated language of symbols to indicate the facilities in addition to text. In a crowed environment high contrast and illuminated signs can help enhance the readability. Sander believes that arrows are one of the most important design features of a way-finding system for airports. Choosing an arrow within a design can make or break it. Many times, some of the best airport signage follows a grid system in order to maintain balance and flexibility in the design. Take a look at the full article and more images featured on DesignWorkPlan.

Sander Baumann’s Collection
Core77 on Design Signs
Style.com on Design Signs

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