Wayfinding and signage strategy
The wayfinding strategy layers three tools into one system: colour zoning that identifies each floor, departmental zones within each floor that carry through into room numbering, and consistent terminology reinforced by pictograms. Cygnus worked with Northern Health to simplify nomenclature into universally understood, plain-language terms rather than technical or departmental names, pairing each with standard healthcare pictograms so directions don’t depend on reading ability or language.
This single standard applies across both Ksyen Regional Hospital and the adjoining Seven Sisters Mental Health Facility, where it is adapted for a residential, long-term recovery model rather than treated as a separate system. It now forms the foundation for the wayfinding and signage system Cygnus is developing with Northern Health at the new Dawson Creek Regional Hospital.
Colour zoning
Each level of the hospital is assigned its own identifying colour, giving visitors an immediate, at-a-glance way to confirm they’re on the right floor without having to read every sign. Departments within each level are further grouped into numbered zones, with the colour and zone system carrying consistently through directories, destination signage, and room identification — reducing reliance on text alone and supporting visitors regardless of language or literacy.
Room numbering
Departmental zone numbers form the basis of the room numbering system, so a visitor’s location is legible from the room number itself rather than requiring a separate lookup. Rather than run as separate wayfinding and operational numbers, the two are combined onto a single sign, with the wayfinding number enlarged for legibility.
Clear arrival
From the moment a visitor reaches the site, exterior identification and directional wayfinding guides drivers and pedestrians toward their destination. A large blue-and-white “H” symbol establishes the site as a hospital before the building’s own identification becomes legible, and freestanding pylon signs direct traffic to common destinations along the way. At the building itself, illuminated channel-letter identifiers integrated into the canopy and façade carry that clarity further: Main Entrance in white, Emergency in red, drawing on red’s familiar association with urgent care.
Photography credit: Christophe Bernard
