Who Says You Can't Have Fun Signs for Restrooms?

by Julia Kicinski

Did you know that restroom signs can make a persuasive statement about your business? As with any decor, the signage you post in and around public restrooms reflects the values and atmosphere of your company. Maybe you thought you didn't have any room for creativity in this area due to legal requirements or a lack of options. Think again! Your restroom signage doesn't have to be obnoxious to be entertaining, nor does it have to be boring to be compliant. Here are some ideas for how you can turn any design concept into a perfect restroom sign.

Compliant

Before launching into fun design ideas, let's get the boring part out of the way: What are the basic requirements of a restroom sign? In its simplest form, you want your signage to clearly communicate crucial information like whether the restroom is gender-specific or gender-neutral. To be compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines, these signs should typically be hung on the wall next to the latch side of the door and convey information with features such as pictograms, tactile text, and braille lettering. These guidelines may feel limiting at first, but you'll find that a little creativity can broaden your options exponentially, especially when you pair fully compliant signage with less functional designs.

Themed

There's no reason why your restroom signs can't match the unique theme you've already established for your business! Try incorporating symbols that exemplify your area of expertise. For example, a dance studio could easily replace the standard male and female pictograms with male and female ballerinas. Likewise, a western-themed restaurant might feature cowboys and cowgirls on their restroom signage. You can also complement standard wall signs with themed door signs like coffee mugs or tea cups at a coffee shop.

Memorable

Imprint your restroom in visitors' memories by having fun with the signage, but don't get so creative that people question which door to enter. To add a recognizable spin to gender-neutral restroom signs, add an unusual symbol like an alien or a bear alongside the standard male and female symbols and replace the "All-Gender" sign label with "Whatever. Just wash your hands." Of course, you'll still want to add "Restroom" to the bottom of the sign or hang a standard gender-neutral sign if your creativity doesn't quite meet ADA guidelines. Additionally, make sure that any handicap accessible restrooms are marked with the appropriate ISA symbol for your state.

Retro

The great thing about fashion is that older designs are always coming back into style. If you're going for a retro look, bring your restroom signs along for the ride with the slight modernization of accessible features. Choose an older metal color scheme with adjusted titles such as "Ladies" and "Gents." You could even complement these signs with matching nameplates on each door for a more classic look. To carry the theme inside the restroom, hang a retro collage of bathroom rules written in old-fashioned script.

Modern

Give your restroom signs a modern look by incorporating contemporary symbols and designs. A variation in the symbol design to be both gender-specific and forward-thinking can still be ADA compliant, so long as the symbols are easily identifiable and maintain a minimum field height of 6". Woodgrain, sleek metal tones, or clear acrylic backplates will also make a fashionable statement. You can even hang metal cutouts of your customized symbols on the restroom doors to accentuate your modern look.

Brand

Who doesn't want a set of extremely unique signs to match their style? Restroom signs are no exception, offering an opportunity to reflect your personal style in a perfectly coordinated color scheme. Signmojo.com offers a large variety of standard colors and designs to choose from for the perfect look for your business, but you can also tell us your vision and we'll create a design just for you. The best part is that we'll ensure that all your designs are both original and ADA compliant!

Office

When considering appropriate spaces to post fun restroom signage, look no further than the office. If you're concerned about maintaining a professional appearance, try portraying your office humor in subtle ways. You'll probably want your wayfinding signage to match the professional look of the rest of your decor, but feel free to play on any inside jokes for other types of signs. For example, a simple illustration of the right and wrong ways to hang a toilet paper roll will look completely normal to any visitors. However, employees seeing the reminder will never forget the incident involving a coworker who could never understand the difference.

Funny

You don't have to be subtle in your restroom signage humor if you don't want to be! An unconventional pictogram featuring a figure with crossed legs instead of perfect posture will entertain any visitors paying attention. If you're feeling particularly brave, try putting up a directional that, rather than merely offering arrows, contains an intentionally controversial joke like: "[One gender] to the LEFT because [the other gender] is always RIGHT." No matter which way you set up your restrooms, you're bound to create a buzz.

Passive-Aggressive

Tired of running into the same issues over and over and ready to tell offenders as much? Make your expectations clear with some passive-aggressive remarks posted inside the restroom. "This isn't an internet lounge" will remind employees on the clock not to dilly-dally or suggest to anybody frequenting a single-stall restroom not to hog the location. If your restroom seems to constantly be out of toilet paper, posting a notice to the effect of "Replacing the toilet paper roll will not cause brain damage" will probably get your point across.

Polite

Maybe you aren't the passive-aggressive type but really want to find a nice way to ask people to be respectful of your business's restroom space. There's no reason you can't be both polite and directive in your request. For example, instead of posting a generic red and white "DO NOT FLUSH..." sign with a list of prohibited items, try choosing a friendly design and color scheme. Then, rephrase to a kinder tone of "Please do not flush..." with a "thank you" at the end. If you want to add a playful touch, start the list with items that you're actually concerned about�like baby wipes or paper towels�then transition into less applicable items like bills, love letters, or hopes and dreams. It's a lot harder for people to be offended when your request leaves them with a smile on their face.

Restaurant

You may be obligated to post sanitary reminders in your restaurant restrooms, but who says you have to post the same generic signage you see everywhere? Give your employees and customers a chuckle by adding a customized commentary. Inform your employees to wash hands before returning to work, then add, "No, seriously" at the bottom to slightly break character while emphasizing the expectation. Similarly, a play on words in a note underneath the main instructions can indicate to customers that your establishment has a sense of humor: "If an employee isn't around, feel free to wash them yourself."

Perhaps one of the reasons why you've shied away from incorporating fun restroom signs is because you're concerned about ADA compliance. Good news! As we've indicated in our ideas above, there are all sorts of ways for you to combine your creativity with ADA guidelines. Just keep in mind that there may be additional signage requirements specific to your state. If you're not sure about your state requirements, contact our customer service team for expert assistance.

No matter what type of environment you're promoting in your business, let your restroom signs be part of the shenanigans!