BRAND MESSAGING: TIPS FOR CREATING EFFECTIVE SIGNAGE

Signage is a very important part of your Marketing strategy. Prospective customers will see your signage and make an immediate impression of your business. Whether it’s Real Estate signs, Vehicle Wraps, Corporate ID signs or Billboards there is much more to designing signage than meets the eye. Not only do your signs need to be eye-catching and stand out from the rest, they also need to be informative and convey your message in the limited period of time your customers have to see it.

The following 3 principles are used by graphic design professionals to create attractive, high impact signage that is readable and carries the most impact:

Size and Visibility – Make sure you choose a size that is appropriate for the distance you expect your sign or vehicle lettering to be viewed from. Consider where your sign will be located and what obstacles might be in the way. Visibility is the most important element of your signage.

Less is More – By keeping your message short and concise, your sign will be easier to read at a quick glance. Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Cluttering your sign with too many words or lines of text will make it harder to read from a distance. The white space (or empty space) surrounding the text and graphics is also quite important. There is a tendency to want to “fill up” the available area with as much copy as possible. But when text is crowded, it becomes much more difficult to read. 30-40% of the sign’s face area should be left as empty space for optimal readability.

Type and Fonts – In general, clean, crisp, easy-to-read type styles should be used to maximize legibility. Most fonts have varying weights and range from regular to bold, italics, extended, etc. Use these to your advantage by giving priority or preference to certain parts of your message. As a rule of thumb, never use more than two different fonts in a single design. Choose two fonts that complement each other. Most importantly, use fonts that are clearly legible when viewed from a distance.

The most important thing to remember when designing a sign is the purpose of the sign. Don’t get too carried away in search of originality and/or personalized branding that you forget to get the message across. People seeing your sign are most-likely looking for 1 of 3 bits of information: company name/brand, what you do, and your phone number or web address. Try not to clutter your sign with too much information. For example, when listing service categories, only list your top 3 or 4 services offered and then say “and more…” This will let potential customers know the main services you provide and that they can inquire about additional services.

Summary:

• – Consider the location

• – Choose an appropriate size

• – Keep your message short and to the point

• – Leave some empty space between lines of text

• – Spotlight only your main service areas

• – Make sure your company name and contact information are prominent

• – Use your logo and brand graphics to create an eye-catching design

Are you looking to have some new signage made for your business?

Do you need help with design or choosing a size?

Advanced Branding Solutions can help!

Call (301) 931-0183 today!