Workplace Signage in a Post-COVID-19 World

MARCH 25, 2021| SpeedPro

Just like signage had to change due to the spread of COVID-19, signage will need to adjust as the world puts up stronger defenses against the coronavirus and distributes vaccines to more people. As the virus begins to lose its power, businesses can’t expect everything to go back to normal immediately. While we work toward a post-COVID-19 world, your signage may need to reflect the remaining public health regulations and customers’ concerns.

Learn more about the ways you can outfit your workplace signage with effective messages and graphics once COVID-19’s threat recedes.

Top Workplace Signage Tips for a Post-COVID-19 World

If you’re ready to prepare your workplace for a world after COVID-19, you may want to focus on your signage. Signs can help you encourage sanitary practices and make your store or office more inviting to newly returning staff and customers. Additionally, properly using signs can help you meet the public’s expectations and match your greater communication efforts.

Here are some of the most helpful tips for producing high-quality signage as we move toward a post-COVID-19 world:

1. Encourage Safe Workplace Practices

Immediately after the coronavirus pandemic, businesses and workspaces will likely have safety regulations in place. While COVID-19’s threat will have decreased, the virus will still be transmittable, especially for people who haven’t been vaccinated. Due to the lingering health threat, many people will likely still want to see safe practices where they work and shop.

Companies can find plenty of coronavirus signage options to install at their workplace. For instance, a city may still have mask requirements for public areas, making face mask signage a must-have for businesses. Often, these face mask signs take the form of window decals that encourage customers and workers to put on a mask before they enter the store. Similarly, social distancing signage may still be required in the early stages of the post-COVID-19 world — floor decals are a popular choice.

2. Keep Your Signage Friendly

When people first return to your workplace, they may be a bit on-edge and not entirely sure what rules they should follow. Post-COVID-19 signage should include friendly messaging and graphics to calm your employees and customers as they get used to navigating public spaces again.

This kind of friendly messaging is even more important when you still need to display messages related to coronavirus safety. For example, your local government may still want customers and staff to wear masks at stores or workspaces for a while after COVID-19’s threat starts to decrease. Some companies may place aggressive signs meant to grab attention and give an order, such as “Wear your mask.”

While more aggressive signage can get a message across, it may alienate some customers and raise their fears. To communicate your message more effectively, try something friendly and courteous. Changing the sign to feature softer color schemes and less aggressive text, like, “Please wear a mask,” can put customers at ease. As you create post-COVID-19 signage, you’ll likely want to stick to typography, phrasing and color palettes that feel friendly and calming.

3. Pair Your Communications Campaign With New Signs and Graphics

Once COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift and people feel more comfortable spending time in public, businesses may need to put together a full communications campaign to draw customers or clients back to their store or facility. If you primarily use digital communication methods, like social media or email, to reach new and old customers, you may want to coordinate your digital campaign with your physical signs and graphics.

By using the same color schemes and key phrases from your digital campaign on your physical signs, you can make your customers more comfortable. Consistent messaging across physical and digital mediums helps your business meet your customers’ expectations, keeping them more relaxed as a result. Additionally, you may want to include information in your digital ads about the ways you’ve implemented safety measures. Pair this messaging with physical signage about your safety measures, such as mask graphics or social distancing signage, to complement the digital campaign.

4. Craft Signage Based on the User Journey

When people return to their workplace or visit a store, they’re going to have different expectations for their experience than they had before the coronavirus outbreak. Consider what people have been going through in your area and tailor your signage to these experiences. What are your customers and employees expecting? What are they thinking the most about, and what are they likely to feel when entering your space? By accounting for all these factors, you can better reach your audience.

Many people are likely to be excited about going out in public again, so you can feature welcoming signage at your entrance that shows them you’re happy to have them back as well. For nervous customers and staff, signage displaying safety practices your workplace has in place can help put them more at ease. Additionally, community-focused graphics can be an excellent addition, as people will probably have a more communal focus after months of trying not to spread the virus to others.

5. Employ Digital Signage

Regulations and safety practices are likely to change the further away people get from the coronavirus threat. Due to the expected changes, you may want to invest in digital signage. Since you can change digital signs with a few keystrokes from a computer, they’re well-suited for a time when changing conditions will impact the rules of your store.

Digital signage allows you to update your message the moment rules change. If a mask mandate is lifted, a digital sign can quickly display this new information to customers and employees, telling them a mask is optional. Many companies have also had to adjust their hours due to the pandemic’s effects on their business. As you begin to stay open longer due to increasing business, digital signs can ensure your customers always know the most updated information about your hours.

Choose SpeedPro for Your Workplace Signage Needs

As you begin to navigate a post-COVID-19 world, let SpeedPro help. Since we are the biggest network of large-format printing studios in the United States, we have the expertise and ability to help you produce high-quality signage. Our team will work closely with you to craft the perfect signs for your company’s needs and help you make people more comfortable at your workplace. We offer several products and services, making it easy for you to receive the right fit.

Find your local SpeedPro studio today if you’re ready to start adding high-quality signage to your workplace. Once you contact your studio, one of our expert representatives will be ready to help you find the signage that best fits your company’s needs.