As the eye roves over your organization’s space, whether in an office or a retail location, environmental graphics can play a big role in conveying key brand values and messaging. There’s one area that, perhaps, doesn’t get enough attention: the floor beneath your feet. Floor graphics tend to be less flashy than wall graphics, but they can be an equally powerful tool to highlight messaging and drive goals.
What Are Floor Graphics?
Floor graphics are a specific form of environmental graphics that are designed to be used on the floor, rather than on walls or as standalone pieces. They can be used in any physical location, whether that’s an office, a tradeshow booth, or a retail location. Depending on the purpose of the space, floor graphics may have different purposes. In an office, for instance, floor graphics might enhance branding, tie in with a particular “theme” going on at the moment, or help employees navigate a space safely and effectively. In a public-facing space, floor graphics might be more geared at helping customers find the right areas of the store or demarcating specific areas that serve unique purposes in a store or booth.
In many cases, locations may choose to use floor graphics as part of a wayfinding signage design. Wayfinding signage helps customers in a physical location navigate their way through the space, ensuring they can find what they’re looking for while also, hopefully, nudging them to encounter more items or ideas that might inspire additional purchases. Applications for retail and other public-oriented floor graphics might include:
- Directing floor traffic along a particular path
- Delineating different areas or “zones”
- Creating interesting “paths” through a location
- Organizing queues
Factors to Consider
Because floor graphics take more wear and tear than other forms of environmental graphics, the materials used for them are particularly important. They’ll need to be durable enough to withstand being walked on constantly, with all the friction, dirt, and environmental debris that entails. Plus, they’ll need to adhere to safety considerations. That means staying attached firmly to the floor without peeling, curling, or tearing, and maintaining a non-slip surface even after being walked on regularly.
Designing floor graphics is also a little different from designing other forms of environmental graphics. Most people don’t spend more than a second or two glancing down at the ground below them, so any message conveyed by floor graphics must be brief, eye-catching, and easy to read. Avoid small type, low-contrast colors, or hard-to-read fonts – remember, everything on floor graphics will be read looking down from five feet or more. Depending on the purpose of the individual graphic, you might have better luck using a combination of short text and symbols (such as arrows) to ensure the best possible understanding and clarity. Where possible, it can be helpful to coordinate (in font or color) with other elements of environmental branding, which creates a stronger sense of authority and cohesion in the space.
One of the primary considerations for floor graphics is the type of surface that they will be adhering to. What material is your floor made out of? What color (and texture) is it? Is it the same throughout the location, or does it change in different “zones”? Before installing full graphics, Priority can provide test materials to ensure that the chosen design works with your floors.
Permanent and Temporary Solutions
Priority Graphics offers both permanent and temporary solutions for creating useful, eye-catching floor graphics. Floor graphics may be installed for short-term situations, such as a temporary promotion or special event, or for permanent use in a location’s design.
Our team has all the resources and expertise you need to design the right floor graphics to enhance visual branding in your locations. We’ll work with you on design elements, test materials for durability and safety, fabricate the graphics, and install (and uninstall, if needed) in your location.
Talk to Priority today to learn more about how floor graphics can transform your organization’s physical spaces!