ED-Central
In This Issue
Whether we like to admit it, at some time in our lives we have all been lost. We have all spent time driving around trying to find our destination. It is very frustrating to have to stop and ask for directions (only to get confusing and hard-to-follow ones). How many times have we missed our exit due to poor signage, wasting valuable time backtracking?
Business signs are a major advertising tool and serve to attract and welcome customers to an establishment. Broken, hard-to-read, faded or old signs may give potential customers the wrong idea about your business.
Whether we like to admit it, at some time in our lives we have all been lost. We have all spent time driving around trying to find our destination. It is very frustrating to have to stop and ask for directions (only to get confusing and hard-to-follow ones). How many times have we missed our exit due to poor signage, wasting valuable time backtracking? It is hard to find a person who cannot relate to these circumstances. One might argue the advent of on-board navigation systems and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have greatly reduced our time spent being lost. While GPS systems are constantly being updated, it is important that communities do not rely on internet maps or GPS units to help visitors navigate our communities. Not every person has a GPS unit; most people still rely on traditional wayfinding methods such as paper maps and roadway signage. Not every community's attractions and streets are going to be uploaded onto every GPS unit. This is where the importance of clear and easy to read community signage comes into play.
Clear, visible and easy to read signage is as invaluable to a community as it is to a small business. For example, a dry-cleaning business with a large sign out front that is informative and easy to read is much more likely to get business than a dry-cleaner with a small sign on the front door. The community with billboards advertising its attractions (museums, stores, natural features, unique attributes, etc.) is much more likely to attract highway traffic than a community with no signage. The point is: It PAYS to make your community visible and easy to navigate! Is your community accessible via interstate or a major highway? Or is it a bit harder to get to? It does not matter, your community should take advantage of advertising opportunities to draw tourists in. Consider utilizing budget resources to place billboards at specific intervals along the highway which has the best access to your community. Advertise that your community has R.V. parks, gas stations, shopping and eateries. It is also important to advertise your community's most unique attraction. For example, the billboard could read "You are just 10 minutes/1 exit away from "insert attraction here." Use these billboards to attract tourists by showcasing the community's best features.
Directional Signage
Take some time to travel around the community and pay specific attention to directional signs. Are they easy to follow? Hard to spot? Difficult to read? Accurate? Imagine if your only source of direction were these signs. For some people visiting the community this may be true. Are those people likely to visit again if they have a difficult time finding attractions, lodging and places to eat? Most likely, the answer is no. Invite a friend from out of town and let them drive around your community. What are their thoughts and perceptions about the navigability of the streets? How helpful did he or she find the community's directional signage? The answer might surprise you. Wayfinding signs are extremely important for out-of-town visitors who are not used to driving in your community. If a visitor is perpetually lost during their time spent in the community they are much more likely to spread negative word-of-mouth advertising for the community. Is that the type of marketing we want for our communities? Absolutely not! Directional signage within a community needs to be large enough to be seen from a moving vehicle. This means the font needs to be large, easy-to-read and the information provided on the sign needs to be concise enough to be interpreted within a few seconds.
Assessing Community Gateways
Make a list of all of the major access points, or "entrances" to the community and take the time to travel to each one and take photographs. These entry points to a community are known as "gateways" and often serve to establish the first impression of a community. Pay close attention to signage, traffic lanes, landscaping, vegetation, parking, natural features, buildings, utility poles, communication towers and the overall look and feel of the gateway. Does the gateway portray the historic charm of the town, or does it appear that the community is cluttered and dirty? These gateways are a huge opportunity for a community to create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors. If you discover that directional signage and community gateways are lacking, it is time to develop a plan of action. According to Traffic and Parking Control Inc. (TAPCO), the following goals should be in mind with regards to developing cohesive community signage:
* Providing a distinct and unified image of the city
* Attracting, welcoming and orienting visitors
* Guiding visitors to major destinations and promoting tourism
* Reducing sign clutter
* Providing "seamless" connectivity between sites
* Being comprehensive and well coordinated
The science of wayfinding encompasses many factors including: municipal planning, streetscape infrastructure, traffic patterns and the cognitive process of navigation. Well-designed signs are a valuable navigational tool for motorists as well as bicyclists and pedestrians because they enhance traffic safety for everyone sharing the road. Lack of signage or poor design can cause navigation problems in unknown environments, potentially leading to confusion and accidents. A visitor who has an accident due to poor directional signage is not likely to return, nor promote the community in a positive light. Carefully selected signs communicate a community's theme, directions and messages not only to visitors, but to residents as well. The proper combination of wayfinding signs will welcome guests to your community, direct them to their destinations and help ensure safe traffic flow.
Where do you start?
Developing and implementing cohesive community signage requires cooperation at many levels, from planning and design through fabrication and installation. You will need the city council, city manager, or mayor on board with your efforts. It may be necessary to have citizens vote on signage and for the city to pass a bond referendum in order to pay for the new signs. You might have to work hard to convince all of the parties involved about the importance of wayfinding signs in the community. Illustrate to the opposition the importance of wayfinding signs and community gateways to tourists. Present them with figures on the economic impact of tourism in your community to help them understand the importance of the project. Next you will need to develop a planning commission. Be sure to involve local landscapers, graphic designers, business owners, city planners and local citizens, as they will have the skills necessary to carry out and develop the plan. Then, take inventory of the community's signage needs. Make a list of attractions and natural features in the area that visitors will most likely rely on directional signs to access.
These include, but certainly are not limited to:
* Historic Districts
* Downtown Areas
* Business Districts
* Industrial Parks
* Natural Features
* Sports Fields and Stadiums
* Schools
* Museums
* Theaters
* Water Features
* Visitor's Centers
* Trails
* Community Pools
Once you have established a vision and list of community assets it is time to determine what the signs should look like and what they should say. Community input on signage issues should be solicited, especially in regards to gateways. Develop a few different versions of what the new signage will look like and have constituents vote on their favorite option. According to Traffic and Parking Control Inc, when considering the design of your wayfinding signs, keep the following in mind:
* Keep it simple.
* Use plain language or simple graphics that are easily understood by all.
* Size your messages and signs appropriately, according to speed and viewing distances.
* Select those fonts and colors that are easy to comprehend, allowing drivers ample time to signal and to negotiate in a safe manner.
* Logos can be carried over onto other signage, including street name signs, points of interest and regulatory signs.
In order to facilitate this process you may need to work with a company that has extensive experience with wayfinding signage. This can become a lengthy process but the end result will give added value to tourists and residents. Your community will have cohesive directional signage that makes it easier for tourists to find their way.
About the Author: Alyssa Webb is the Communications Coordinator for AdventGX, an economic development and tourism consulting firm located in College Station, Texas. She is currently pursuing her graduate degree at Texas A&M University in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences with an emphasis on community event planning and tourism marketing. Alyssa can be reached via email at alyssawebb@adventgx.com
Business signs are a major advertising tool and serve to attract and welcome customers to an establishment. Broken, hard-to-read, faded or old signs may give potential customers the wrong idea about your business. Treat your sign as if it were the face of your business and make sure it is in good condition and inviting. Take a look at the signs outside your business. Are they easy to spot from far away? Is the lettering large and easy to read from a moving vehicle? Are all the letters present or functioning in your sign? What about your small business signage? Business signs should be colorful enough to catch the eye of potential customers, but not so colorful that they are distracting. Lettering should be large and easy to read from a distance. Often businesses use logos in their signage because they help customers identify the business or what the business has to offer. If your business is open at night be sure that your sign is well lit, or that your sign lights up on its own. It is also important to make sure that your sign is not hidden from view by any other structure. If your sign is highly obstructed you should consider moving it to a more visible location.
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