When an individual or team is ready to purchase signage for a business, they need a clear, readable, and aesthetically-pleasing design. To ensure the successful promotion of the company and make the most out of budgeted advertising dollars, it’s important to be effective and efficient.

Keep it simple. 

Effective sign design quickly and clearly displays a message using as few words as possible. Why? Because of the amount of time viewers have to decipher messages. Motorists, for instance, have only seconds to see and interpret a sign, making three to five-word messages ideal. Point of sale signage, on the other hand, can tolerate slightly more informative content. Spend some time determining the message you want to convey and keep environment, the business and its services in mind when creating your signage.

Leave plenty of white space.

In keeping with the ‘keep it simple’ philosophy, leave plenty of “white space” – that blank area around text and images. Thirty to forty percent white space is best. An overabundance of text and graphics overwhelms viewers. If you want to get wordy, save it for a press release. TMI is a known killer of effective sign design.

Choose clear typefaces.

Just because you want customers to view you as fancy, doesn’t mean a fancy typeface is the way to go.  Unreadable typefaces are completely useless. Even if you own an upscale, decorative shop, script and other novelty typefaces are probably not your best bet. Neither is the use of multiple typefaces nor all caps.  Why?  Because the human eye deciphers block letters and proper capitalization more easily.  Instead, opt for clear, straight typefaces that are easily readable, using bold letters or slightly larger text for emphasis.

Understand your color options.

We all know there is a marketing psychology behind color choice and what draws a customer in.  And quite frankly, some colors just don’t look good together.  Design experts understand what colors contrast and what colors compliment others.  Hanging on the wall at Forerunner is a color combination sign that serves as a daily reminder of what works and what doesn’t.  Before you have you decide on what colors to use in your signage, you have to look past your favorite color and really determine what will be eye-catching and influence your prospective customers.

Size your image accordingly. 

Make sure images and icons you choose for your business are not only large enough to read and understand.  In addition, it is important that they have a clear, immediate connection to your type of business, such as a logo.

Don’t DIY.

Unless you own your own design or sign company, don’t go it alone.  If you are unsure what your business sign should look like and be made of, let a seasoned design team help you discover your best option.

An experienced graphic design team and sign company can help you create the most effective sign design for optimum results. If you’re not sure what will work or look good – just ask. The experts at Forerunner Signs & Graphics are happy to explain which design style and material will be effective for your business.  From concept to creation to installation, our team is there with you every step of the way!

Michael Ryan