Do you have suitable directories that support navigating your space? How do you know? Your questions—answered!
Wayfinding is a significant concern for customers and patients. Directory signs help those coming to see you find their way around the property. Do you have directories that support navigating your space? How do you know? Your questions—answered!
Do You Need Directories? Yes!
Customers may not return to your location if they cannot find their way around. First-time visitors feel stressed if they have difficulty finding the right building, floor, or office number. Take away the frustration with high-quality directory signs; the customer will feel at ease and likely become a repeat consumer.
One Size Does Not Fit All – Choosing the Right Directory Signs for Your Location
It will be difficult for you to look at your location with the eyes of a first-time visitor. Our team wants to help. During a site survey, our technicians will identify areas where a directory makes sense, contributes to active wayfinding, and aesthetically fits in with the interior and exterior design.
As a general rule of thumb, there are four types of directories.
- Outdoor directories. Welcome visitors to your location. They may be part of your monument sign or set up in your parking area to help drivers navigate to your front door.
- Building directories. On properties with multiple buildings – examples include hospitals and schools – the building directory is a necessity. Help visitors find not just the correct department but start by letting them also locate the right building.
- Venue directories. When first-time visitors enter the building, how do they find the department they are looking for? Remember that they may also need help locating an individual or an office number.
- Temporary directories. When you host special events, use temporary directories to guide visitors. Put these up outside and inside. Their goal is to guide everyone to the one venue where the event takes place.
Constructing a Contemporary Directory Sign That Fits in Your Budget
Excellent wayfinding signage does not have to break the budget. In fact, our team specializes in designing, producing, and installing directories that look great and save you money.
Let’s start with the material selection. Durability is critical. We recommend using metal, metal composites, or acrylic. Metal is the best option for signs that must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It lasts a long time and cleans up easily, making it ideally suited for being touched.
When your interior allocation of offices and suites changes, choose a directory setup that lets you insert and remove tabs. You can continue to use the branded base directory but can make changes and keep it up to date. Remember to choose your display locations with care. We recommend placing wall directories opposite entrances, near elevators, and outside stairwell doors. Outside directory signs can go into the parking lot as A-frames or post and panel signs.
Types of Building Directory Signs
Not every building needs the same directory. The right format depends on how many tenants you list, how often they change, and whether the sign lives in a climate-controlled lobby or outdoors. Here are the most common types of building directory signs we design and install for New Jersey properties.
Wall-Mounted Directory Signs
The most common interior directory sign — a panel mounted at eye level near the main entrance or elevator bank. Built from materials like brushed aluminum, acrylic, frosted glass, or wood veneer, wall-mounted directories suit office buildings, medical suites, and professional practices where the tenant list is relatively stable.
Freestanding & Lobby Directory Signs
A freestanding directory — post-and-panel or pedestal style — works where wall space is limited or the directory needs to be a design statement in a large lobby. These commercial building directory signs greet visitors the moment they walk in and can be double-sided for high-traffic entrances.
Modular Tenant Directories for Multi-Tenant Buildings
For office parks, strip centers, and multi-tenant buildings, a modular directory uses individual, swappable tenant strips. When a tenant moves in or out, you replace one panel instead of the whole sign — the most cost-effective way to keep a building directory current as your roster changes.
Digital Directory Signs
A digital directory replaces printed panels with a screen you update from software. Ideal for large complexes, medical campuses, and buildings with frequent tenant turnover, these can also display wayfinding maps, announcements, and event schedules.
ADA & Tactile Directory Signs
Any directory identifying a permanent room or space may need to meet ADA requirements — raised characters, Braille, and proper contrast. Many buildings pair a main lobby directory with ADA-compliant room-ID and wayfinding signs to guide visitors the rest of the way.
Digital vs. Printed Directory Signs: Which Is Right for Your Lobby?
Both have a place; the right call comes down to how often your tenant list changes and your budget.
- Printed / panel directories cost less upfront, never fail during a power outage, and match architectural finishes beautifully — best for buildings with a stable tenant roster.
- Digital directories cost more initially but let you update the listing in seconds, add wayfinding and messaging, and avoid re-ordering panels every time a tenant changes — best for high-turnover, multi-tenant, or campus settings.
A common middle ground for New Jersey office buildings: a modular printed directory in the lobby with swappable strips, plus digital wayfinding at decision points on busy floors.
Are Directory Signs Required to Be ADA-Compliant?
If your directory or wayfinding signage identifies permanent rooms and spaces, it generally must follow ADA guidelines — including tactile characters, Grade 2 Braille, non-glare finishes, and adequate color contrast. Lobby directories that simply list tenants have more flexibility, but pairing them with ADA-compliant room identification and wayfinding signs keeps your whole building accessible and inspection-ready. For a deeper breakdown, see our guide to ADA-compliant signage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a building directory sign?
A building directory sign lists the businesses, tenants, or departments inside a building and where to find them — usually mounted in the lobby or near the main entrance to orient visitors as soon as they arrive.
What are the different types of directory signs?
The main types are wall-mounted directories, freestanding/lobby directories, modular tenant directories with swappable panels, digital directories, and ADA/tactile directories. Many buildings combine a lobby directory with wayfinding signage.
How much does a building directory sign cost in NJ?
Cost depends on size, materials, the number of tenant slots, and whether it is printed or digital. A simple wall-mounted panel is the most affordable option; modular and digital directories cost more but save money over time in buildings with frequent tenant changes. Request a free estimate for a firm number.
How do you update a directory when tenants change?
With a modular directory, you swap the individual tenant strip instead of replacing the whole sign. Digital directories are updated instantly from software. This is a key reason property managers of multi-tenant buildings choose these formats.
Where should a directory sign go in a lobby?
Directly in the visitor’s line of sight from the main entrance — typically near the elevators or reception — at a readable eye-level height, with ADA clearances where required.
Do directory signs need to be ADA-compliant?
If the signage identifies permanent rooms or spaces, yes — it needs tactile lettering, Braille, and proper contrast. A tenant-listing lobby directory has more flexibility, but accessibility is always the safer standard.
Work with our specialists to determine the best directory locations, learn about your wayfinding needs, and discuss the options available to you. We recommend starting with a free on-site survey.
And you won't be doing it alone: our in-house graphic artists will work with you to design a sign that captures attention and reflects your brand.
Ready to get a sign that brings in more customers? Get your free, no-obligation estimate today.
Call us: +1 (908) 464-1700
