Wayfinding requirements in Kazakhstan: languages, accessibility, handover

Two languages are a second design, not a translation

The requirement to present visual information in Kazakh and Russian is usually read as a translation task: the layout is ready, a second line is all that remains. In practice it changes the whole design. Two languages on one sign mean twice the text at an unchanged reading distance — which means either a sign twice the size, or a reduced character height that no longer serves that distance.

Kazakh text also tends to run longer than its Russian equivalent: agglutinative endings add noticeable width. Zone names that fit one line in Russian wrap in Kazakh, and a modular grid calculated from the Russian version stops working.

Arranging two languages so the sign still reads

There are few workable schemes. The vertical one — Kazakh above, Russian below — preserves sign width and suits wall-mounted and door signs. The horizontal one — Kazakh left, Russian right — saves height and is used on ceiling-mounted signs where vertical clearance is limited.

In both schemes the languages are separated by typography rather than by a rule: the primary language is set tighter and larger, the second one step smaller or in a lighter weight. Giving both languages equal weight produces an unreadable block in which the eye finds no entry point.

• Kazakh comes first — to the left or above
• The hierarchy between languages is set by size or weight, not by colour
• A pictogram is placed once for both languages rather than duplicated
• Numbers, zone letters and colour codes are neither translated nor duplicated
• Reading distance is calculated from whichever language runs longer

Accessibility requirements

The second group covers accessibility of buildings for people with reduced mobility. In substance it matches the Russian one: contrast of character against background, minimum character size derived from reading distance, mounting height and position, duplication of key information in tactile form.

What differs is the set of documents and the specific values, so the applicable list is fixed at the start of the project. For sites built to a single standard in both Kazakhstan and Russia, the system is normally designed to the stricter of the two — cheaper than maintaining two versions.

What is checked at handover

Inspection runs along two lines. The formal one: both languages present, in the right order, signs matching the declared accessibility parameters. The substantive one covers what is only visible on site — whether a sign is blocked by equipment, whether it reads under the actual lighting, whether zone names on signs match those used at the reception desk and printed in documents.

A mismatch in names is the most common complaint and the cheapest to fix at the design stage. Once signs are fabricated, it costs a full replacement batch.