A picture’s worth a thousand words, and when it comes to your business, the right sign can communicate several things such as an ongoing sale, what you sell or where you’re located. Outdoor business signs can help attract more customers than any other form of marketing, but the particular emphasis needs to be placed on the design. Your outdoor business sign requires a few thoughtful adjustments to make it ideal for your company.
1. Understanding The Display Environment
A common reason that not all signs are as successful as they could be is not enough attention is paid to their display environment. Considering where the sign will hang or stand allows you to choose the right font, contrasting colors, and the ideal size. Some questions you should ask when designing a sign are:
- Will it go near a busy intersection or a sidewalk?
- How close will people need to get to your sign to read it? At what distance should it attract viewers?
- Does the sign need to work for a variety of locations and environments?
Knowing the answers to these questions will allow you to work with a design company to achieve the desired results.
2. An Accentuated Message
Whatever you want your business sign to say, you need the message to speak loud and clear to people passing by. Any sign, regardless of design, simply attracts attention more if the colors are contrasting. Different designs allow you to emphasize certain parts of your message to get your point across.
An excellent design for a business sign will also take into consideration the environment where it’s displayed. There’s a straightforward reason for that: the design colors need to contrast with the background and pop enough to draw attention from all angles. If you require your sign to be moveable, the colors need to blend well in virtually any environment.
3. Simplicity Is Gold
As a business owner, you may wish to splash many messages across your canvas, but it’s essential to assess your sign realistically. Does it read well from a distance? Having a lot of messages and design elements will make the sign hard to read from any distance while it also looks cluttered and uninspired. Share with potential viewers a few critical parts of your business that are integral to making them consider working with you.
Most people only focus on signs for a short few seconds; therefore, make those seconds count! What makes a good business sign? One that is able to capture attention and hold it just long enough to share key pieces of information. For example, if you have a landscaping company called Bob’s Landscaping, place heavy emphasis on landscaping. Change the colors and highlight the words that tell potential clients at a glance quickly what you do and how to find you.
4. Typography Is Your Friend
Great business signs will always make use of distinctive typography, so you will see type in different weights ranging from bold to black to extended. These variables help a business sign achieve a cohesive look while prioritizing certain parts of your message. These key parts are the portions of your sign you want people to remember the most. They can help locate your business, understanding what it does or who it’s for.
Did you know that typography can also improve sign visibility? By varying weights of the fonts used, you can make the sign more readable, and it will stand out against virtually any backdrop. It is also important that all parts of the design play well together, and your message flows.
5. Blank Space Is Better Than Imagery
The importance of blank space when designing a sign is never stressed enough. Take billboards, for example. Have you ever considered which ones catch your eye? Are the memorable ones cluttered with info, or are they the ones that let you rest your vision? That’s not to say that you should have one line of text and no imagery, but the design’s negative space needs to be used to its full extent.
Don’t jam-pack your business sign with an overwhelming amount of text. Highlight what you want the world to know by leaving breathing space and letting the blank background speak. This highlights your graphics and message better than any amount of clutter or color. If you plan on leaving your sign in an environment rife with competition, trust in the blank space as it will help yours stand out!
What makes a good sign for your business? The above factors are key in achieving a cohesive and eye-catching look. Play around with wording, blank space, contrasting colors, and typography to stand out from the crowd and draw attention to your sign alone!
