A few years ago, a popular comedian made the “Here’s your sign” tag-line very popular as a follow up to someone saying or doing something dumb or needing directions for a simple task. It was good for a laugh, but as we think about it—we all need signs to help us navigate through our daily lives.
We have done a number of, and continue do work on, “First Impressions” studies with our district communities. One of the top issues always surfacing for local areas is the lack of good signage. So, as communities who wish to make ourselves a destination, we need to have signage that directs people within our communities, provides assistance to visitors to identify our major draws, and helps others easily navigate our areas.
Some communities have the advantage of major highways running through town. For others, it is vital to have signage located on a major highway with directions and distances to get to the destination. This sign should be large enough to be easily read from the road at 65 miles per hour. Next, the “Welcome to” signs on the edge of town give your communities’ first impressions to visitors. Are these signs located in the line of vision from travelers on the road? Are these signs blocked by trees or growing weeds? Do these signs have good contrast of color to make them attractive, visible and readable? Are these signs maintained—so there is not chipping paint? Is the landscaping well-groomed or is there tall grass around the signs? Are there signs at every entrance to town?
Does your community have wayfinding signs? I commonly hear from locals: “It is easy to find everything here in town!” That may be true if you grew up in the community, but when you drive in after dark, on a winter night for a ball game, not knowing the school is located somewhere in the middle of a residential area—it may not be so easy to find. Yes, I speak from experience on that one. So, quality wayfinding or directional signage is a great investment for communities. There are some wonderful looks out there, so I encourage communities to do a little research. My recommendation is that these signs need to have the ability to be added to or swapped out as things may change within the community over time. I also recommend the community put together a committee to identify the town’s big draws and to make sure those locations are on the wayfinding signs.
Finally, what are the condition of your street signs? Individually, these are not expensive, but to place signs across the entire community is a huge investment and one that is well worth it. Again, there are some great looks out there, but here are a few suggestions. Make sure the color choices are high contrast between the background and the lettering, and ensure the colors are visible both day and night. In many of our communities, street signs were done years ago and now paint has come off the lettering leaving a 4” by 12” green sign on a post! In others, the street signs are just missing for a variety of reasons. Evaluate your street signs and consider updating them accordingly.
If your community has not yet participated in the “First Impressions” program then give a call to your local K-State Research and Extension Office for details on how you can get signed up.
