In July, UF Health Shands Hospital introduced a new wayfinding tool on the first floor to help patients, visitors, faculty and staff members navigate the north campus building.
Based on widely used “metro maps” in urban settings, our new wayfinding features “paths” and “stops.” Color-coded directional paths mark the routes on signage and map handouts; and numerical stops mark the destinations.
For example, a staff member giving directions to the first-floor UF Health Pharmacy at Shands Hospital would say, “Follow the blue path to stop number 24.”
“The key to the success of the new program is a shift in language,” said Tina Mullen, UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine director. “Patients and visitors should be given a number and color that corresponds to their destination.”
Metro maps of the first floor are available at all information desks and can be ordered through UF Health Shands Publication Services. Because color is a key component of the wayfinding system, guests and patients will need to be given color, not black and white, copies of the map.
The wayfinding system includes three directional kiosks located at the east and west entrances of UF Health Shands Hospital and the UF Health Shands Hospital Atrium.
The system is designed to be flexible. While destination path numbers and colors will not change, language on signs can be adjusted as services migrate around the building.
Keep up with construction, renovations and news like this at blueprints.UFHealth.org