Why Effective Wayfinding Matters:
Lessons from a Signage Audit at Atalanta Property, Subiaco
Great wayfinding often goes unnoticed.
When visitors can effortlessly navigate a shopping centre, commercial precinct, healthcare facility or business park, they rarely stop to think about the signage guiding them. But behind every seamless customer journey is a carefully planned wayfinding system designed to provide direction, confidence and clarity.
Recently, our team at The Factory partnered with Atalanta Property in Subiaco to review and enhance the wayfinding experience within one of their retail precincts. Like many successful commercial properties, the centre continues to evolve over time as tenants grow, relocate and new businesses join the community.
Recognising the importance of delivering an exceptional visitor experience, Atalanta Property engaged The Factory to conduct a comprehensive signage audit and identify opportunities to strengthen their existing wayfinding network.
The project became a valuable case study into why wayfinding signage is such an important component of any commercial property and how even small improvements can make a significant difference to visitor navigation and overall customer experience.
A Wayfinding Proactive Approach to Visitor Experience
Atalanta Property understood that great centres are about more than just attracting quality tenants. They are also about creating an environment that is easy to navigate and enjoyable to visit.
Our Senior Sales Consultant, David, spent time onsite conducting an in-depth signage audit, reviewing visitor pathways, directory locations, directional signage and key decision-making points throughout the centre.
As with many established retail destinations, the audit identified opportunities to refresh and optimise the existing wayfinding system to better reflect the current tenant mix and support future growth.
The review focused on:
- Enhancing directional signage throughout the centre
- Updating tenant information to reflect current businesses
- Creating greater consistency across signage touchpoints
- Improving the overall navigation experience for visitors
- Ensuring businesses could be located quickly and easily
These findings weren’t unusual. In fact, they are incredibly common across shopping centres, business parks and commercial developments that have evolved over many years.
A Real-World Reminder of Why Wayfinding Matters
One particular moment during the audit perfectly demonstrated why wayfinding should never be underestimated.
While David was onsite with the client, a member of the public approached and asked where Coles was located.
The interesting part wasn’t that they were looking for Coles. It was that they were already standing within close proximity to highly visible Coles branding.
The interaction served as a valuable reminder that wayfinding and branding serve two very different purposes.
A building sign or storefront identifies a destination.
Wayfinding signage helps people get there.
Even when a destination is visible, visitors often look for confirmation that they are heading in the right direction. They seek reassurance, especially when entering unfamiliar environments.
It’s a behaviour we all experience every day.
Whether we’re looking for a supermarket, medical clinic, parking area or public facility, we instinctively rely on directional signs to validate our next step.
This simple interaction reinforced why effective wayfinding is so important and highlighted the value of Atalanta Property’s decision to continually review and improve the visitor experience across their centre.
Need a Wayfinding Audit for Your Property?
At The Factory, we don’t just manufacture signs – we help businesses, property managers, shopping centres, schools, healthcare facilities, and commercial developments create signage systems that work.
Our team takes a strategic approach to signage, assessing visitor journeys, identifying navigation challenges, and developing practical wayfinding solutions that improve the customer experience.
If your property has experienced tenant changes, growth, renovations, or increasing visitor confusion, it may be time for a signage audit.
Because sometimes the biggest signage problems aren’t the signs you can see – they’re the signs that are missing.
Speak with The Factory today to discover how a professional wayfinding review can improve navigation, customer experience, and overall property presentation.
