Retail signage can be an excellent way to attract customers to your shop, get them excited about what you have to offer, and help them navigate around your shop. However, designing attractive, eye-catching signage can be difficult. This article explains three key ingredients to creating exciting, efficient signage.
A Bold Colour Palette
The colour palette of your retail signage is vitally important, and your choice of palette depends on both the nature of your business and the use of your sign. For example, if you're looking for a sign to place outside your shop, then vibrant, contrasting colours will draw people in, but inside the shop, the main purpose of signage is to direct a customer around the store. You can use contrasting (think red and blue) or analogous colours (such as blue and purple) to create incredible colour schemes. Make sure that the contrast is good enough, as you need the text to be fully readable from the other side of the shop or street.
A Striking, Easy-to-Read Font
One of the most important aspects of retail signage, as compared to printed materials and other signs, is that it should be easy to read. This is because if a customer can't find your shop, or can't find what they want inside the shop, it's very easy for them to leave and go elsewhere. They'll also be on the go when they read your sign and want something that's easy to read and digest. This means your font needs to be easy to notice and not too ornate or decorative: simple fonts like Verdana or Century Gothic are always a good idea, as they are simple yet striking. If you aren't sure about a font, print something out in that font and see if you can see it from a distance.
Clear, Concise Wording
Retail signs should generally be simple, especially internal signage. For example, you could get signs made for each section of your shop that simply explain what can be found beneath them, whether that's shoes, accessories, or womenswear. For the front of your shop, a retail sign that simply has the name of your shop and maybe your logo is both striking and effective, showing off your brand image without bombarding the customer with information. However, you might also opt to fit in a short tagline explaining what your business is about, such as "toys for creative kids" or "organic, eco-friendly soaps." This lets potential customers decide instantly whether they want to come in.
If you make sure that you design a compelling colour scheme, choose a font that's bold and easy to read, and ensure that your wording is concise and clear, you can easily design retail signage that catches the eye and gets potential customers engaged and excited.
Share15 September 2021
Hello, my name is Melissa. As a former branding consultant and designer, I know a lot about creating images and signs for companies. I also know that you cannot just read generic advice and get ahead. Someone in the natural healthcare field, for example, needs to use different colours, shapes and designs than someone in another field. If you want to know which colours, designs, styles and graphics relate most effectively to the natural health care field, you have come to the right place. I am going to include tips, advice, analysis, facts, colour guides and more on designing signs for natural companies. Welcome and enjoy!