As the song says, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign!” You can’t look any distance in a commercial area without seeing a dozen signs advertising locations, products or services. Chances are, however, that you only process and remember a few of them. So, what makes a sign “pop” and stick in your brain? There are many variables, but here are three critical guidelines to designing effective signage.
Single Color Text and Logos
Some beginning graphic designers think a great logo must have detailed metallic textures or advanced lighting effects or color gradients. While these are pretty and work well in broadcast and film, printed signs are a different story. If you try to print vinyl signs Salem Oregon with these kinds of details, you’re going to find it can cost a lot more than a single-color logo. A single-color logo is also quicker for your eyes and brain to process. Think about the Nike “swoosh” logo. It’s white over orange, nice and simple. The same applies to text.
Bold Sans-Serif Fonts
Speaking of text, a mistake that many designers make is poor font choice. First, mixing fonts on signs is a bad idea. It’s far better to use different weights of the same font (bold, italic, light, etc.) to differentiate or make certain words stand out. While design trends for fonts come and go, it’s usually a safe bet to use a clear, bold sans-serif font.
Simple Layouts
We’ve talked about not using too many colors or fonts. This goes into one overarching rule of sign design: Don’t clutter it up! Resist the urge to put too much information, either visual or textual, onto it. Stick to a single-color logo, a short slogan and a call to action (either website or phone number.)
Don’t get lost in the visual shuffle. Use these tips to design a memorable sign.