Signage Design For Public Spaces - Assignment Example

? Signage Design: Signage A signage, or a sign, can be defined as any visual graphic or expression designed for the sole purpose of displaying information to a particular predetermined audience. Such signs are displayed to provide way-finding information mainly on streets or on/in buildings. A signage is usually designed to arouse the audience’s interest and attention to what they refer. They are therefore, intended to identify things and places and to provide direction to an interested audience. They are also used ideally to give information about areas or places of interest, as well as warning information and instructions. As such, a signage should be designed in a specific shape depending on the intended purpose. This implies that there are specific rules dictating how they are designed. For instance, a rectangular signage is intended to provide general information to an audience and to identify things and places. In contrast, a circular signage portrays specific instructions that should be followed by the audience concerned. On the other hand, a triangular signage indicates danger, and the audience it is meant for should not ignore the message it carries. These guidelines should be taken into account when deciding on the shape of the signage (Trulove & Sprague, 2000). In addition, it is important to understand the purpose of signage. Business signs are intended to market a business to the public; hence the intended audience should easily identify and link the information with the business being advertised. Such a signage provides the business with an effective voice on the streets since it creates a permanent impression on pedestrians and motorists. A road safety sign, on the other hand, should be precise and able to communicate the intended warning in the best way and in the shortest time possible. This means that a signage should be easy to identify and understand given the short time that pedestrians and motorists spend on a particular street. There are different types of signs that depend on where they are placed to capture the attention. Their location is also important since it becomes part of the sign, and hence it should be appealing and such that emphasises the information carried by the sign. There are signs placed on buildings; others can be said to be free standing. Some include changeable copy boards, interior signs as well as buildings which function as a sign themselves. Illumination of signs can also be used in communication of seasonal messages on signage designs to impact a buyer’s choices in particular times. However, most signs are meant to communicate a particular message to a given audience. This paper will try to highlight the main features of a business advertisement signage which is the most common type of signage. Business signs are primarily used as a way of marking the location of a business. Such an identity is a form of advertisement intended to capture the attention of potential customers. The most important aspect that must be captured in such a signage is the specific products that the business offers, which the reader should identify with. It is a fact that signs have a profound effect hardly noticed. For this reason, they are quite effective and can be used as a strong advertising tool if they are properly designed and located (Galindo, 2011). The main purpose of business signage is to capture the attention of potential customers, particularly new ones. This can help the business grow its revenues and profitability. In addition, signs are used as a branding tool for a business. Raising the top of the mind awareness in potential customers helps to identify the business, and this can be achieved through a properly designed signage. Such a permanent signage has a repetitive influence on those who get to read it each time they come across it. Such a brand identifier should have a consistent design that matches the products and services offered. Finally, business signs are an effective tool in triggering impulse buying. Many buyers tend to remember they require something once they see it. Properly designed signs have a great impact on a customer’s buying patterns (Trulove & Sprague, 2000). However, it is important to be objective when designing a signage since different signs serve different business needs and are meant for a specific audience. The business category should be thoroughly explored before designing its sign since different customers have different needs; hence they need different marketing strategies. A signage can, therefore, be designed to capture and serve a combination of customer categories in an effective way. In addition to serving customer needs, the designed signage must clearly and accurately focus on branding the business site. This means that it should portray the most appropriate image of the business. Finally, advertisement signs must be eye catching to be able to draw attention quickly and convincingly. Designing an Effective Signage Signs are generally used to capture the attention. It is, therefore, important to design a sign that creates a good impression, especially if it is an advertising tool. This implies that the signage should convey the intended message to a potential audience in the easiest and most attractive way possible. The wording, graphics and the symbols used in the signage should create a meaningful relation between what the business is offering and the potential customers. Designing an effective signage is an important aspect which requires careful consideration especially in the mix of colours, location and the wording to be used. The factors to be considered in this exercise are discussed in the following paragraphs. Legibility Legibility requires the letters and symbols in a signage to be read by an audience with normal vision from a reasonable distance. This means that the size of the letters and symbols should be relatively visible and the colour should be bright and attractive enough to the audience. It is also important to consider the amount of information to be displayed. The message should be kept simple, and priority should be placed on what is to be communicated only. For instance, a business with new services should prioritise on such products while an existing business can prioritise on the uniqueness of their products. The address of the business should be clearly indicated and easily identifiable. Graphics and Colour The colour and graphics chosen to be included in the signage should be readable and such that befit the type of business being advertised. Again, the message should be clear and simple. The letters used should not include abbreviations unless they are publicly known or commonly used. The orientation of the text should be preferably horizontal as opposed to vertical orientation. The white space is also an important area of a signage and at least 30%-40% should be left as blank space. This is because too much text on the signage can be distracting to the audience. Colour combination, on the other hand, is an important consideration. The most readable text colour is normally black or a dark shade of red. These are the most legible on a yellow or white background, but if the text is on a building, at least one of the colours should include the colour of the building. Use of contrasting colours should be considered when designing a signage targeting men. This is due to the fact that about 9% of men are colour-blind. Contrast Contrast in the entire signage refers to the difference between the dark and the lighter parts of the signage. Positive contrast is usually easier to read than negative one. Positive contrast refers to the lighter text or graphics on a dark background while negative contrast refers to a bolder text or graphics on a light background. The standard optimal contrast means that the brightness of the text in the signage is about 4 to 10 times that of the background colour. This defines the luminance of the signage, which is basically the intensity of light emitted by the signage’s surface. Text Type An effective signage should be legible from a reasonable distance for motorists and passers-by to read the signage easily. As such, the text to be used on the signage is an important aspect to be considered since it determines how many people can get the message within a given locality. It is advisable to use tall letters with a wider stroke since they can be read from farther away as compared to shorter and slender letters. In addition to size, the letter case used is also a factor in signage design. Capital letters are generally easier to recognise than small letters, but they tend to be read individually in a text. On the other hand, lower case has smaller letters, but the words formed are readable in whole. Though both cases are equally legible, the horizontal length of the letters should be approximately 1/5 of the height. In case numbers are part of the text, the Arabic numbers are more commonly used than the Roman symbols which are more complex to comprehend (Davies, 2006). Lighting It is important to consider the operation hours of the business being advertised by the signage. If the business operates at night, appropriate lighting should be designed. Signage on premises can be illuminated from inside or outside the building. In more general terms, lighting mostly depends on the sign location as well as the material used in the signage. Illuminating using florescent and neon bulbs and tubing has been a common practice. Ease of maintaining the lighting that is chosen and the costs of installing should also be considered. Area and Angle of Vision The location of a signage along a street is an important factor since passers-by and motorists might not have a full view of the whole street. The danger of having the signage missing means it will be useless to even have it in the first place. The angle of vision of the signage also has an influence on how long one is able to see it while still moving along the street. A 90-degree angle of vision to the road offers the best location for a signage. A sign parallel to the road has the least chances of communicating to the intended audience (Uebele, 2009) Visibility This refers to the ease of the advertising signage being spotted. The signage should be placed in an area with little chance of being obscured. Trees, traffic and infrastructure can be some of the factors that affect the visibility of signs. As such, the location should be regularly checked to see if there is a chance of being obscured. In addition, the signage itself must be conspicuous enough to attract the attention of the intended audience. This means that it should be easily distinguished in its surroundings. This again goes to appropriate usage of colours, lighting and type face designs. Capturing the attention of passers-by and motorists should be the main aim in designing an effective signage. Conclusion In view of the elements highlighted above, it is clear that an effective advisement signage should focus on capturing the attention of the audience. Thus, a signage should be kept simple and easy to read. A lot of information should not clutter the signage, as this should be offered when the customer finally visits the business. In addition, it is important to consider changing the signage from time to time so as to capture the attention of different audiences regularly. In designing the signage, it is also important to consider whether the message is meant for a season or it will be a permanent feature in the business being advertised. For instance, a promotional signage meant for the festive season may not be designed as a premises signage. However, the bottom line should focus on the attention of the intended audience. As such, legibility, visibility, conspicuousness and simplicity determine how well the signage will appeal to and attract the audience. In addition the signage should be designed to reinforce the identity of the business being advertised. Consistency in the colour schemes, text and location should ultimately match with the business being advertised. These factors highly determine how memorable the signage is in the audience’s mind. It is, however, worth noting that the desired design and locality should be compliant with the local authority’s regulations, which differ from one locality to another. Finally, creating an appealing impression on the target audience’s mind means that the business will be well known. It is indeed a fact that signs are the most cost effective means of advertising a business especially in the locality it is situated. Signs have been used by market analysts to determine their influence as an advertisement tool for businesses. It has been found that 85% of a business’s customers are residents within a 5-mile radius. These statistics imply that a business should focus on advertising itself in its locality aggressively. Such awareness in its locality can be achieved effectively and cheaply by the use of appropriate signage. An effective signage can change a business’s performance drastically. This can only be realised if the business is able to attract more customers and retain them in the long run. More satisfied customers imply more sales, more revenue and eventually more profits. These profits can be achieved if more thought is invested in the design and location of a signage to advertise the business. Bibliography Davies, S., 2006. Design professionals: career FAQs. Oxford: Publisher Career FAQs. Galindo, M., 2011. Signage design: architecture in focus series. Oxford: Braun Publishing AG. Trulove, J. and Sprague, C., 2000. This way: signage design for public spaces. Chicago: Rockport publishers. Uebele, A., 2009. Signage systems and information graphics: a professional sourcebook. California: Thames & Hudson, Limited. Read More