Once an oddity in stores, offices, and other buildings, directional floor decals have become familiar to most of us, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. These vinyl floor stickers help customers and employees to maintain social distancing, keeping the spread of the disease to a minimum. Combined with wearing masks in public, social distancing can greatly reduce the likelihood of contracting the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How to Design Effective Directional Floor Decals
To be effective, directional floor decals must catch customers’ eyes. Bold lettering and colors that contrast with the room’s flooring are the best way to get their attention. However, the colors should look attractive with the room’s overall color palette.
Using complementary colors — those on the opposite side of the color wheel – provide the needed contrast while maintaining a pleasing appearance. Consider adding your brand’s logo to the mix to give customers a subtle reminder about where they are.
In addition to traditional arrows, you can use square, rectangular, round, or oval decals with arrows printed on them.
- Use square and rectangular stickers to create a bold, geometric look. If your logo incorporates straight lines, rather than curves, these shapes will accent the logo.
- Round and oval decals contrast with directional arrows, softening their lines for an inviting, welcoming look. Again, use a shape that will complement the company logo and other branded designs.
In addition, make sure that your printer uses a material that adheres properly to whatever surfaces you have throughout your facility. Today’s custom decal options include materials that can adhere to flooring such as concrete, brick, stone, and even carpet. Take a walkthrough of your facility and grounds to make sure you list all of them on the specifications you give to the printer.
Where to Place Directional Vinyl Floor Stickers
Before ordering directional vinyl floor stickers, plan how you want your floor traffic to move. Stores should direct traffic in a logical flow, making sure it’s easy to get to the most popular products.
Make sure that the signs are six feet apart – the distance that the CDC recommends to prevent droplets from another person’s sneezes or coughs from reaching your customers. Arrows are usually the best way to indicate traffic flow. Every other aisle, change the direction to make sure that customers do not get frustrated by traveling clear across the store to get to the department they want to go.
If your stickers are large enough, indicate which departments or sections the arrows point to. In addition to helping customers protect themselves from COVID-19 or other communicable diseases, it can also help them find what they’re looking for more quickly.
Helping them get in and out quickly gives them a more seamless customer experience. That, in turn, makes it more likely that they’ll recommend your brand to friends and family.
Use Slip-Resistant Vinyl Floor Stickers for Safety
Since these decals are for use underfoot, businesses need specially designed, slip-resistant floor stickers to ensure customer safety. During the pandemic, many businesses concentrate on keeping everything spotlessly clean.
Avoiding slips and falls, though, is still critical to providing a safe experience for all customers, particularly seniors. Make sure you tell your sign maker that you plan to install these directional signs on the floor. Ask them to use only slip-resistant vinyl to manufacture the decals.
Use Removable Floor Decals
Someday, whether by a vaccine or an effective therapeutic medication, the current pandemic will wane. Consider using removable floor decals to make sure you can take them off easily with a scraper without ruining the flooring.
If your building has a variety of flooring materials or outdoor spaces where social distancing is necessary, an indoor/outdoor-grade vinyl decal is a must. Be sure to tell the printer about all the flooring types that you have to ensure that the removable floor decals will work throughout the facility.
Durability Is a Necessity for Floor-Based Signage
Ask your printer how long their vinyl stickers are designed to last under heavy traffic. Make sure you give the printer a reliable estimate of your usual daily, monthly, and weekly floor traffic so that he or she can select vinyl that will hold up well for at least three months, even if your traffic increases.
If you live in an area where snow and ice are regular “visitors” during the colder months, choose decals that can hold up under salt and other de-icing chemicals. Anti-slip properties, too, would be a benefit when roads and sidewalks are already a little slippery.
Install Your Floor Decals Properly
Removable floor decals are like giant stickers. Just like stickers you slap on the bumper of your car, you need to take care to avoid bubbles and uneven edges.
Remove the paper backing and then apply the decal to the flooring. For best results, start at the center of the decal, smoothing it out toward the decal’s edges.
A tool called a “brayer” can help smooth out any bubbles, making the floor decals look like they’re part of the facility’s flooring. Leaving the bubbles in won’t only look bad, but because they are raised slightly above the level of the flooring, they can lead to slips and falls.
What Types of Businesses Need Directional Decals?
In addition to retail stores, a variety of other organizations can put directional decals to work. Any situation that requires social distancing to minimize the risk of spreading illness is a good candidate for these stickers. Use directional decals for:
- Trade shows
- Sports events
- Conferences
- Restaurants and bars
- Weddings, birthdays, and other special events
- Concerts, gallery openings, and plays
- Schools and universities
Use Street Decals to Attract Customers
After the pandemic wanes, some people might be wary of entering a closed space. Use specialized street decals to point customers to your establishment. Messaging that assures them that this company makes sanitation its top priority helps even the most skeptical customers feel confident to come inside.
Bottom line, government regulations have certain requirements that need to be met, and during a health crisis, comes even more imperative for small businesses to follow them. There are ways however to make this work for you rather than against you. Consider these as opportunities to turn regulations into an opportunity to promote your business.
Make your establishment ready for business as America adjusts to life in a pandemic – and its aftermath. Consult with the Nova Custom Printing team to find out which branded floor decals are your best choice. Get in touch today!
