When it comes to getting noticed, few things are as handy as a well-placed sign. Of course, we’re a sign company, so we may be a little biased.
Still, it’s not secret that if you want people to see your business or organization or find their way around effectively, appropriate signage is a necessity. Few things frustrate your customers more than not being able to find their way to where they want to go. That’s why the sign experts at Signs Of Intelligence always go the extra mile to help customers identify the right kind of signs for the right need.
Last week, we were proud to finish a particularly interesting sign installation over at Marist High School. You may know that Marist has been around since 1901 and was originally a military school. It is now one of the top rated high school athletic programs in the nation. The school sits on top of 77 acres and has 18 buildings- one of which has a new sign on it!
The Woodruff Auditorium used to have a banner identifying the building, and over time, this banner had become weather worn. The administration reached out to local sign shops for help, and Signs Of Intelligence was able to provide their new sign.
But, not all sign installations are created equal. To stand out on the brick building, this sign required studs to make the mounted aluminum letters more visible. It’s a fairly common practice among sign professionals and provides a great look as well as helps the sign pop against the brick background.
Installing this sign on the high school campus made us think of four secrets to great visibility with your signage. So, here are our thoughts:
Make Your Sign Stand Out
When it comes to getting proper signage for a building, it’s always important to consider the overall sign design as well as the background the sign will be seen against. Far too often this isn’t a consideration, and this can lead to expensive sign mistakes.
Using studs on the Woodruff Auditorium sign is the equivalent of putting a drop shadow on the text of a website. The drop shadow makes the lettering stand out more and catches the eye quicker. It’s a great trick to help you get greater visibility.
Naturally, when you’re considering your signage, you have to think about the type of font you want to use. If you already have signs around your campus like Marist, it’s important to match the font in order to create consistency in how people experience your business.
Some people think that signs that use all caps are more effective at grabbing attention, but studies show this couldn’t be farther from the truth. It may be that people too often associate using all capital letters as yelling, but the research shows that using both capital and lower case letters actually helps increase visibility from a distance.
Use Empty Space
Some people think it’s important to fill all the space possible on a sign, but the truth is, signs can actually stand out more when surrounded by empty space. This pulls from studies where eye movement is tracked, and they found that when there are limited distractions, the full sign is traced with the viewer’s eyes more frequently than if the space is filled.
These studies support the idea that the more choices we have in front of us, the more likely we are to avoid making a decision. This is an important consideration when it comes to sign placement for your business.
Bigger IS Better
Because the average person is exposed to anywhere from 200 to 3000 ads a day, it’s important that your signs break through the clutter and the noise. That’s why bigger lettering has a better chance to catch more eyes than the small signs.
Far too often, when shopping for signage, business owners make their decision solely based upon budget, so he or she may opt for a smaller sign. Research shows that bigger lettering and bigger signs tend to pay for themselves in the traffic that the signs attract. Naturally, this rule of thumb also depends upon the general purpose of the sign to begin with.
There Are Lots Of Ways To Make Mistakes
As mentioned above, we’ve seen signs where the business owner or organization didn’t stop to consider the background of the sign beforehand. These signs can get lost easily. There are mistakes in letter sizing, coloring, inconsistency with branding and more. The list of mistakes can be another blog post itself.
That’s why it’s always smart to consult with a sign company that takes a consultative approach to working with customers. That’s a great description for the signage experts at Signs Of Intelligence.
Whether you’re looking for banners, outdoor signs, indoor signs, vehicle wraps or trade show displays, call Signs Of Intelligence. Our mission is to help your business or organization get noticed.
Signs Of Intelligence is your local sign company serving businesses of all types all around the Atlanta area. We help you design and create professional looking signs and banners to help your business get noticed. We have happy sign customers all around Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Duluth, Suwanee, Johns Creek, Alpharetta and more. Call us today!
