Large corporations have departments devoted to marketing, which suggests just how important managing your business’ brand is. First impressions are formed within seconds, and signage is valuable visual real-estate. The cost of the sign is taking away from your company’s bottom line, so it’s important to make the investment count.
Lighting
A brilliantly designed sign will not be effective if it can’t be seen. If your sign relies on natural lighting, be sure to position it to face the sun. Driving past warehouses, there are often dimly lit signs that are hard to see when cast in shadow on a sunny afternoon. If the front doors of your store does not receive much light during the day due to shadows, consider other options, such as positioning the sign away from the building or choosing a lit sign.
Surroundings
Greenery is frequently used to beautify urban spaces, but trees and bushes can interfere with lines-of-sight. In other cases, older buildings will have large vines wrap around the building. In the winter when the vine is bare, the plant will not obscure signage, but at the height of summer, the leaves form a thick layer that will hide everything. Aside from natural obtrusions, other signs can block the way of people seeing what you’re trying to show them. Even if you can secure a space that’s visible from all angles, it may not be a good idea to try and compete for attention in a busy space. Like a packed flyerboard, only those who stop to look are likely to see your advertising. Reconsider the location to find the opportunity that works best for your sign.
Height
Lines-of-sight vary relative to distance and and height of the head from the ground. The normal sight line is the looking forward to a few degrees below the horizon. A sign positioned close to the ground meant for pedestrians is not going to be effective for this reason. On the other hand, a large sign can be positioned relatively low to the ground for car traffic if it’s not meant to be seen from afar. Remember that space is 3 dimensional. As mentioned above, an area may be cluttered with signs. Pulling back and raising your company’s signage gives the eye something to look at that stands out in the way it changes as the audience approaches.
Size
A sign that is too large will not be seen in its entirety, but a sign that’s too small will not be legible if noticed at all. A glance at the sign should give the audience a good understanding of the information there. The visual representation should convey something about your company’s brand, but the communication is meant to be brief – it’s not a painting. The size should be large enough that any writing is legible and shapes clear. On that note, shapes and logos should be simple. Consider a large sign to catch the audience’s attention. By covering more area in the field-of-view, you raise the chances that the eyes will notice it.
Audience
Pedestrian traffic or car traffic will influence your choice in height and sign. On top of that, the speed of vehicular traffic may also be important. Ads by highways tend to be large or even billboard sized. If the sign you’re making is meant to flag down passersby somewhere outside your establishment, you need to give people enough notice ahead of time. For pedestrians, this is not as much of an issue, unless your sign and your business is located on a side street, but you need to give drivers time to slow down and pull into the parking lot of your business. The faster the traffic, the larger the sign needs to be.
Branding
Copywriting and logo design can convey so much information. A logo is in essence a picture, which is worth 1,000 words. Fonts can deliver subtle cues to the reader about the values of your company. If your company hasn’t developed them yet, consider consulting a professional to design a custom signage for you. A brand isn’t something that’s easily taken back. Think of it as part of public relations for your company.
Permits and price
Don’t forget that you’re putting signs on land that you may not own. Even if you do own the land, local bylaws may restrict your use of vertical space. Contact your municipality to learn about what you can and cannot do. If you need to apply for a permit, budget accordingly.
Jonathan Baker is a businessman based in Ontario. Being a businessman he gets to travel a lot and he likes to share his travel experiences with others through blogging. Jonathan also writes about business and finance management. In this article he has written about designing signage and logo for your company. He has also given useful tips about the placement of sign boards of your company. He can be reached at https://twitter.com/Jonatha97039368
