Office Sign Guide
Office Sign Guide
Office sign guide
Collaborative and compliant
A University-wide committee gathered nearly a decade ago to research best practices, ensure compliance with ADA requirements and set the sign standard for basic wayfinding and room/office identification.
Consistency, clarity and legibility. The priorities for identifying individual employees’ locations in Rowan’s facilities focus on helping people find each other, no matter which campus or building they occupy. By communicating the same information and presenting it consistently, we reduce the potential for confusion and misunderstanding. The standard also ensures that we represent employees equitably and efficiently throughout the institution.
Ordering signs
Please submit your order through the Facilities & Operations work order portal. Contact Cathy Beardsley, Sign Shop, if you have questions: beardsley@rowan.edu or call 856-256-4976
Employee office placard
Wherever employees work, whether in single, enclosed offices or in spaces along common corridors, high-contrast, ADA-compliant placards ensure visibility in typical conditions and accessibility for those with visual impairments.
- Placards include one’s name and title, the most essential elements for identifying employees.
- Division, department, and other unit or team names appear on larger signs rather than individual employees' placards.
- Each employee in a shared office should have a separate placard.
The guidance below focuses on how best to use the limited space on office signs and how to help communicate critical information for people, their roles and locations. Syllabi, CVs and websites are better suited for more detail about credentials, affiliations and other information. Think of how you introduce yourself in conversation in the most concise way and consider this the basic copy to include on the placard.
Specifications
Name
- Each line designated for one’s name allows for 13 characters.
- Use first and last name only. Use initials only if you use a middle name as a first name (e.g., J. Mark Smith might prefer to be known as “J”).
- Use your proper legal name, not a nickname, unless you don’t use your given name (e.g., Thomas Brown vs. Tom Brown).
- Don’t include courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.) and honorifics (Dr., Rev., Hon.).
- Terminal degree designations may appear after your name (PhD, EdD, MD, DO, MBA, MFA, etc.) without punctuation (to conserve the limited character spaces).
- State law requires employees who hold professional credentials in psychology, marriage and family counseling, social work and health care to post their credentials (MD, RN, PsyD, etc., without periods) if they are performing clinical work in their employment with the University.
Title
- Each line designated for one’s title allows for 21 characters.
- Use working titles, not state titles (e.g., Program Coordinator, not program specialist II).
- Professional staff members whose primary responsibility is academic advising may use the title “Academic Advisor” or “Graduate Program Advisor.”
- Don’t use descriptors that are unrelated to your employment at the University (e.g., military ranks or professional credentials irrelevant to your role at Rowan).
Departmental signs
Across campus, departmental signs assist with wayfinding within a suite by identifying the specific departments housed there. These can be ordered through the same portal as employee placards.
Directory signs
Within buildings, it may be necessary to install a directory sign to assist visitors and guests with locating their destination office or department. Building managers can order these signs by contacting Facilities & Operations.
