To compare two signs, test two separate things: what the viewer reads first, and whether it can be read from where they stand. This lesson gives a short routine and applies it to two original concepts.
It belongs to the SPM subjects and learning resources collection. When you want to improve a sign, continue with revising a sign layout for a stated audience and viewing context.
What are the two tests?
The read-order test. Look at the sign for two seconds, then write down what you noticed first, second and third. Compare that order with the order the sign is meant to have.
The distance test. Imagine standing at the stated viewing distance, for example the far end of a school corridor. Ask which words you can still read and which vanish.
If the order is wrong or the key word disappears, the sign fails one of the tests.
Worked example: two original concepts
Brief (original). A sign for a school library entrance, read by students walking in a corridor about ten metres from the door. It must say “Library”, “Silence please” and “Open 7.30 to 4.30”.
Sign A. All three lines are the same size, in a thin decorative font, dark grey on a dark blue background.
Sign B. “Library” is large and bold in white on dark blue. “Silence please” is about half the size in the same white. The opening hours are smaller, lower on the sign.
| Test | Sign A | Sign B |
|---|---|---|
| Read order | No clear first: all three lines compete | “Library” first, “Silence please” second, hours third |
| Distance test at ten metres | All three lines weak: thin letters on a dark background | “Library” readable, “Silence please” readable, hours too small but least urgent |
| Contrast | Low (grey on dark blue) | High (white on dark blue) |
Explanation. Sign B has a clear hierarchy, because size and weight tell the viewer what matters most. It also has better legibility at ten metres, since bold white letters on dark blue stay readable at a distance. Sign A has no hierarchy and weak legibility, since equal size and low contrast hide every line.
The mistake: saying “it looks nicer”
The common slip is to write “Sign B looks nicer and cleaner”. That is an opinion, not a design explanation, and it does not show that you can name what makes the sign work.
Replace every “looks nicer” with an observation tied to a test: “the largest, boldest word is the one the viewer needs first”. The test gives you the vocabulary.
Keep the two judgements separate
Hierarchy is about order. Legibility is about reading. A sign can rank its lines well and still be hard to read.
Write two sentences, one for each. If you combine them, you may credit a sign for something it does not do.
Check yourself
Brief (original). A sign for a school canteen queue, read from five metres. Sign C: “Queue here” in large bold black letters on a yellow background, with “Please pay before collecting” in small light grey letters below.
Sign D: both lines in medium-size italic letters, dark green on brown. Compare them by hierarchy and legibility.
Answer
Sign C has a clear hierarchy: “Queue here” is first, and the smaller line is second. Black on yellow has high contrast, so “Queue here” is legible at five metres, but the small light grey line is weak at that distance.
Sign D has no hierarchy, since both lines are equal, and dark green on brown has low contrast, so both lines are harder to read.
Sign C is stronger overall, although its second line would improve with darker, larger letters.
What to study next
Practise on signs you see at school and in your neighbourhood, and use the structured-answer self-review tool to check your written comparisons. Then continue with revising a sign layout for a stated audience and viewing context.
If you want a teacher to discuss your own sign concepts, see online one-to-one Sign Production tuition.