All Signs Point to Success
Onsite signage is an important part of any brick and mortar business. Keeping your customers informed on company policies, wayfinding, and events are all key to a healthy customer/business relationship. Refer to this guide when creating a new sign to create the most successful signage you can.
Are you trying to show customers where to go? Are you informing customers about a new event? Are you alerting customers about a new policy? The intended goal informs the design and installation of a sign, so zeroing in on the goal is the first step.
While it may seem too soon to consider location and method of installation at this step, it can be a key component to the design process. Think about the goal of the sign and the best location to place your sign. Is that in a lobby as soon as customers enter? Is it in the parking lot to show customers where to go? Thinking about location dictates the size of the sign and what material you should produce on. Will there be holes in the signage that you will need to factor into the design? Is there a frame that will affect the margins? Figuring out location and installation now will save time later on in the process.
What colors will work best for the intended goal?
The fun part – colors. Working within brand colors (if you have them) select the colors that make most sense for your intended goal. If your goal is to show customers where to go, use bright, in-your-face colors that really pop and catch the eye. If your goal is to inform customers about a new event, use colors that complement the theme of the event.
After getting the goal and color palette figured out, next is laying out the information on the sign. Think as if you knew nothing about the information being presented. What is the main takeaway of the copy for the sign? That should be the largest on the page. On wayfinding signage, the direction should be largest. On event promotional signage, the event name should be the largest. Next, think about the second most important piece of information and make this information smaller, yet still pop on the page. The date & time are key pieces of information on event signage that need to pop yet not be largest on the page. Use colors and size to set the hierarchy.