By signcraft
Posted on Monday, December 16th, 2024
A few weeks ago, in “Secondary signs that deliver the message,” we shared almost two dozen secondary signs by Rob Cooper, Koh Tao, Thailand—A-frames, directional signs and small signs pitching everything from dive classes to pancakes to Cuban cigars. The layouts were all effective, legible and very appealing—and we have another two dozen for you here.
Unfortunately, many of the secondary signs you see around town get little or no attention to layout, usually because the customer is more concerned about what they are spending than what they will get for what they are spending. Often the text is just quickly typed in on the computer and another boring generic sign is born.
But you may be able to help some customers see that spending just a little more for the extra time it takes to create a small sign that’s especially appealing and readable, they get a lot more value for their money. It will make sure that more viewers notice the sign and read it—at least the essential message. Many will continue on, too, to read the other messages on the sign.
Sometimes they are informational, like hours and pool rules signs. Other times they are selling something—a special or ice cream or happy hour drinks. And in other cases, they give directions to the viewer like where to check in or how far the entrance is.
Whatever the message, though, if it’s important enough to make a sign for it, it’s important enough for the layout to be effective. Instead of just taking the copy from the customer, try asking what they want to achieve. Shift the focus from the cost to what they want the sign to do. A small stretch of the budget can deliver big dividends for them in how well the sign works.
