In its most basic form, signage is a type of communication. And, just as good communication hinges on human psychology, so too does the effectiveness of your signage.
So what does that mean for your business? Basically, if you want to create an effective sign it’s important to spend some time understanding how people think and prioritize that over your brand in some cases.
The 4 Elements of Effective Sign Design
A well-received sign can bring a multitude of benefits for a business. It can draw new people into your brick and mortar, encourage impulse purchases and even enhance your reputation (In a study conducted by FedEx Office, about 68% of consumers believe that a business’ signage reflects the quality of its products or services).
So, how can you leverage human psychology to help you harness all these benefits? Let’s take a look at all the elements of effective sign design, how they tie into psychology and how you can use them to your advantage below.
Appeal
First, let’s talk about the concept for your sign: What kind of advertising appeal are you using?
Advertising appeals are different techniques and strategies that are used to attract customers by appealing to a part of their psychology. While there are many different types of appeals out there, here are a few common ones:
- Ethical appeal: Appealing to the consumer’s moral code
- Logical appeal: Appealing to the consumer’s rationality
- Emotional appeal: Appealing to the consumer’s feelings
Usually, advertising appeals try to provoke an emotional response to persuade viewers to take an action, like buying a product or service.
For example, a non-profit might create a billboard that asks people to donate. Its message might imply that a person would be doing a good deed by donating. This approach would be classified as an ethical appeal.
A logical appeal, for the same non-profit, might describe a tax write off that donors could benefit from and an emotional appeal might tug on viewers heart strings by showing a picture of a sad puppy (if the hypothetical nonprofit was an animal rescue organization).
Look at the concept for your sign and ask yourself what type of appeal you’re using. If it’s unclear, work on sharpening your message to target a specific one. This will help you leverage psychology to communicate your message and inspire action.
Color
When it comes to picking a color for your sign, there are a few rules you can follow. First, keep contrasting colors in mind. This will be especially useful to keep your viewers attention and also have your sign seen from a distance.
If you need help choosing contrasting colors, grab (or Google) a color wheel. Find your first desired color on the wheel, and then find the color that’s directly opposite from it — that’s your contrasting color.
The second thing to keep in mind is that the color scheme should match your brand image. This continuity helps with brand recognition, another helpful concept for leveraging human psychology.
If you’re building a brand new business — or you’re in the process of rebranding — we suggest that you choose colors that match your industry or niche. People have been harnessing the power of color psychology for a long time now, so take a look around your industry. What colors are everybody else using? There’s probably a reason they’re using them, for example:
- Red: You’ll notice that restaurants and fast food chains usually use the color red, because it stimulates hunger. It also creates passion, intensity, and indicates urgency, which is why you’ll see “SALE” signs most often displayed in the color red.
- Yellow: This color stimulates mental processes, implies clarity, and encourages cheerfulness. Yellow also has one of the longest wavelengths, making it one of the most psychologically compelling colors, which is why it’s great for grabbing attention. But use caution as too much yellow can also cause anxiety (ex: “danger” signs).
- Blue: In contrast to red, blue suppresses the appetite and stimulates calmness and serenity. It is most commonly associated with water and in Western society is often synonymous with the male gender. This color is also perceived as being trustworthy, which is why many financial institutions and hospitals often use this color.
The power of color psychology extends far beyond the above primary colors, so we suggest doing your research before you decide which colors you want to use for your sign, or your overall brand.
Design: Graphics & Text
Aside from color, the other two things you’ll have within your signage are text and graphics. Text refers to any words you use on the sign, and graphics refer to the visual element/s of your sign (shapes, art or logos). With either of these, you want to always remember: Keep. It. Simple.
Microsoft’s 2015 ‘Attention Span’ report is famous for clocking the average human attention span at only eight seconds – that’s one second less than a goldfish!
So what does that mean for your signage design? It means you should avoid overloading the viewer with too much text as they’ll become quickly overwhelmed and look right past it. You also don’t want to overdo it with the graphics as the human eye won’t know where to focus, which again, leads to overwhelm.
Some of the most effective and powerful signage has been the simplest. Think of the many Nike campaigns (Three words “Just do it” and a swoosh graphic).
Or check out this Timex ad that emphasized their differentiation factor with a simplistic design:
This billboard brings up our next point: White space. White space refers to the area of the creative that has no design or text in it. It’s important to include plenty of white space in your sign to improve readability and create separation between elements. While there is no perfect amount of white space, we recommend having at least 30-40% of your sign design devoted to it.
Bringing us back to text, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the psychological effects of font. There are many different opinions on which fonts are the best, but here are some tips that can help you choose the right one:
- Serif fonts are the most classic category of fonts. When you use a serif font in your designs, it tells your audience you’re a traditional company they can trust. For example, many banks use these types of fonts.
- Sans serif fonts are more up-to-date and sophisticated than Serif fonts. These fonts are typically viewed as sleek and modern, which is why many Tech companies use them.
- Script fonts are more elaborate and detailed than other font categories. Their uniqueness can elevate designs to a more elegant and sophisticated level. These fonts can also emulate a personal touch because they resemble handwriting but be careful as these fonts can sometimes be harder to read. Disney Land and Coca-Cola both use script fonts.
Pro Tip: Avoid using more than two different fonts in a single sign design. Otherwise, you risk your material looking unprofessional and ineffective.
Placement
Not sure where to place your sign? Think first about your sign’s objective: What are you trying to get customers to do?
In general, placing your sign in a high traffic area, be it foot traffic or vehicle traffic, will increase your sign’s visibility. In fact, a well-placed sign can expose local consumers to your brand about 50 to 60 times per month.
Looking to place a wayfinding sign? People typically look up and around when they’re lost, so placing your directional signage high up where everyone can see it is the best option.
Make sure to consider the lighting and any obstructions when deciding where to place your sign. Additionally, consider readability: One inch of letter height will be seen within a 10-feet distance. Ensure that the size of your sign and the text used can be easily seen at the distance from which you would like it to be visible.
Inclusivity
If you’re worried about cultural sensitivities and lack of inclusivity with your sign, it’s always a good idea to run your sign design past a few sets of eyes — especially people in different roles and backgrounds.
As far as the psychology of a good, inoffensive sign goes, knowing your target audience is everything. You can avoid most potentially embarrassing faux pas by simply doing research on the demographic you want to reach. And, creating a buyer persona is a great place to start. Not only will this help you avoid any misunderstandings, but it will also help you refine your message to make your sign and marketing more compelling.
Are you looking for a signage partner to help you make a great impression? Let our team here at Impression Signs & Graphics help. Give us a call today at (651)328-6600. Our signage experts can talk you through concept, design, communication, installation and more.
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