Signs & Symbols
I came across a post with a nice selection of nice sign symbols this morning. The stuff is similar to this one below, which is a favourite of mine. It’s the kind of thing that if you have no interest in graphics or signs, you’d probably think is the most boring thing ever. But if you do… head over and take a look.
Queue Management Signs
I suppose this is not 100% sign or signage related, but what the heck, I’m going to run with it.
I was at the airport last night and was having a good look at the rows and rows of barrier posts - you know, those queue management barriers that are used to keep lines of people in order. As you can imagine, at the airport, there is thousands of them.
Well, the marketer in me couldn’t help but noticing the killer advertising opportunity that would be possible by adding a sign holder to the top of each post. I was sure that I’d seen such signs before, but at the airport there wasn’t one in sight!
So when I got home I looked into it with a quick Google search. Of course, they do exist and actually seem to be really common. Maybe it’s to do with airport policy or maybe the management there just hasn’t considered selling the space on the top of all these stanchions. Surely it’d bring in a huge amount of advertising revenue - maybe even enough that they could drop their parking costs and I wouldn’t have been charged $20 for a one hour stay!!!
If you’d like more info on queue poles or stanchions or whatever you want to call them here’s a good site to check out - Queue Management Barriers
Signs and Symbols
If you’re interested in signs and signage, the chances are that you also have, at the very least, a passing interest in graphic design. Because, let’s face it, without good graphic design even the most structurally sound and ingenious sign is worthless.
There is a tendency to think of graphic design as the layout of posters, magazines and advertisments and sometimes the humble graphics which appear on every day signs are not appreciated as they should be. Well, maybe they’re not appreciated as much as I think they should be. So when I see a post glorifying the everyday design of sign symbols… I get excited! And I link to it, so that anyone else with this little niche of interest can get their fill too. Check it out, a nice collection of sign symbols.
Media Backdrop Banners
There’s a new sign on the block. Well, it’s actually a banner stand, but hey, banners are signs aren’t they?
It’s called a media backdrop and it’s the largest pull up banner that you can get your hands on. The name media backdrop banner comes from the fact that they are designed to be used as a branded backdrop for press conferences and television interviews. You would have seen them before when you’ve been watching a politician or sportsman talking on television and there are some images or logos behind them on a large sign.
The surface of the media backdrop sign is typically 2400 x 2000mm - that’s a big sign and for the price it’s also great bang for your buck! These type of signs are not suitable for outdoor use and are more appropriate as temporary signage than permanent, but are well worth considering if you are looking for high impact signage in a retail environment. Just think what great impact a media backdrop banner with some great sign graphics would have in a shop window display.
The Top Five Secrets To Creating A Sign That Gets Noticed
Not everybody is a graphic designer… but that doesn’t mean you can use that as an excuse for creating a below average sign for your business or special event. Here are five easy-to-follow tips to ensure your sign stands out and gets noticed.
1. AVOID EXCESSIVE WORDINESS
Most people think that they have to provide as much information as possible on their signs - but doing so will actually detract from the sign’s ability to get noticed. It’s difficult to read a sign that’s too “busy”, as it’s very hard to pick out which pieces of information are truly important. Your message has to be concise and to the point - it will be much more powerful if it’s limited to just a few words or bullet points.
Ask yourself: What is the purpose of my sign? Can I remove something without losing the main message? Remember, the purpose of your sign isn’t to provide all of the facts - it’s to project a single, focused message to your audience.
2. ENSURE YOUR SIGN CAN BE READ AT A DISTANCE
A driver only sees a billboard for a few seconds, yet we see far too many billboards where the main messaging is next to impossible to read. Most new designers have no idea about minimum letter heights and reading distances. Their signs might look nice, but are ultimately failing in their prime objective - to communicate a message that can be understood.
Our studio follows the “Standard Letter Visibility Chart”, commonly used by Canadian Provincial & U.S. State Roads authorities, to ensure our signs can be read properly. For example, if your lettering is 10 inches high, the maximum readable distance of your sign is approximately 100 feet. Always be aware of where your sign will be installed and at what distance it will typically be viewed from. Once you know the distance, you can adjust the size of your lettering accordingly. If you’re stuck, our professional staff can give you guidance on what size of letters are best for your sign.
3. FRAME YOUR MESSAGE
We see a lot of meeting and conference signs designed without any sort of accent border. These signs generally lack punch, especially if they use a plain white background. It’s important to take the approach that all good photographers use in their work - you need to frame your sign so that its design and messaging are unified and focused.
That’s not to say you need a massive border around your sign. Depending on the other design elements, an accent border might be limited to just one or two sides of the sign. In some cases, a border isn’t even necessary if the other elements are strong enough on their own. If you intend to place your sign into a metal or plastic frame, your sign will have more punch if the graphic elements complement the colour and style of the frame that will be used.
4. USE THE RIGHT COLORS
We’ve seen a lot of signs where either too many or too few colours are incorporated into the design. When only a single colour is used, it’s very difficult to draw the eye to the sign. Adding too many colours, though, can hurt the effectiveness of the sign by creating clutter. As well, too many colours tend to “clash” and the design will come across as being tacky.
As a general rule, we recommend a minimum of two and a maximum of four solid colours in any design - enough to get your sign noticed but not overwhelm your audience. Remember that your choice of colours will have a dramatic effect on the readability of your sign. Black on yellow is much easier to read than red on grey, for example.
When a corporate logo is used, you should always complement its design by incorporating one of its colours into the text or border accent elements of the sign. Photos and other graphic images, unlike logos, typically include a whole spectrum of colours. However, there are usually one or two dominant “theme” colours that the eye can identify. Your sign should draw from the dominant colours (or a percentage, such as a half-tone), using them in the accent borders or supporting text.
5. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TYPESTYLE
With thousands of typestyles out there, it’s very tempting to try to use every one that is available. New designers will often try to cram several different typestyles into one design - but all this does is create visual clutter.
As a general rule, choose only one “decorative” typestyle for your design. Although they might look cool, the fancier typestyles are not always legible and can obscure your message. Decorative styles should always be complimented with other phrases or body copy printed in a clearly legible typestyle. With logos, try to use a typestyle that is complimentary to the logo. If you have more than one message, or are using a full-colour or photographic image as your background, use varying “weights” of the same typestyle or modify the style through italics, bold, shadows, outlines or contrasting colours to make your central phrase or company name stand out and get noticed.
SUMMARY
Remember, creating a sign that gets noticed isn’t about being clever or cute - it’s about getting your message across by maximizing three things: Visibility, Readability and Legibility. With our five easy tips, you’ll be able to design a sign that both looks good and gets the job done.
