Every day the average human is exposed to well over 6000 messages a day. Thousands of tiny ads, signs, and images vying for our headspace, trying to tell us something equally important.
This being said, it doesn’t take a ground-breaking design to get a sign to do what it is meant to, communicate effectively. You just need to make sure that its message is clear, it is easy to see, and is made from the right stuff.
All you need to do is avoid making some of the most commonly made signage design mistakes that make signs altogether ineffective.
It doesn’t matter what the sign is being used for, whether it is branding, relaying instructions, or marking out an exit in an emergency. The smallest design mistakes can make them fail at their job.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these mistakes here…
NOT ENOUGH CONTRAST
While in certain other types of designs, contrast is not always a good thing, in signage, it is absolutely essential for its most basic function; to be visible.
How many times have you seen a sign with lettering that is similarly coloured to the background, making it nearly invisible, especially in bad lighting (but we’ll get to that)?
Contrast is the single most important part of making a sign visible and able to instantly communicate what it needs to.
While it might be tempting to choose a colour scheme with limited contrast, the sign is not meant to be easy on the eye, it is supposed to catch it.
LOW LIGHTING & VISIBILITY
There are plenty of situations where signage is used in low lighting areas, such as in mines, industrial buildings, or even in emergencies where the power might be unavailable.
In these areas, having a sign that is well-lit is important, or nobody will see them when they are needed most.
You have a few options available to you when using signs in low-light areas, you could use photoluminescent signs which emit a glow in the darkness, reflective signs, or even powered ones.
The solution will depend on what you are using the sign for. For instance, if the sign serves for emergency instruction, a photoluminescent sign would be ideal, because they don’t require external power to be lit.
USING THE WRONG MATERIALS
The wrong materials can have a completely negative impact on how effective (and how durable) your sign is. This is a mistake that you see often enough.
Take a walk down the street and see how many signs are rusted, peeling, faded, and otherwise no longer doing their jobs properly simply because the wrong material has been used.
Beyond the durability and weather resistance of the sign, certain materials also look more professional than others.
There are tons of material options. Far too many to cover here. But be sure to discuss which ones should be used with your sign manufacturer to make sure you pick one that works for your needs.
SAYING WAY TOO MUCH
Too much information is a bigger crime than not giving enough, in the world of signage anyway.
A sign needs to say what it needs to as concisely as possible. If you bombard the viewer with a wall of small text, nobody is going to read past the first three words, if you’re lucky.
A sign needs to communicate what it needs to in a second. You need to be able to pass the sign and know what you need to at a glance.
If you put too much information on the sign instead of something that is clear and instantly visible, the sign is not going to relay the information you need it to, its just going to become an eyesore.
CONTACT SURE SIGNS FOR THE PERFECT SIGN
There is a lot to think about when designing and printing signs, no matter what you are using them for, which is why it is a good idea to work with a signage company that can help you get it right.
If you would like to know more about our offers on signage in South Africa, be sure to get in contact with Sure Signs today by visiting our website.