Signs Provide Social Value and Promote Social Good

We all get lost, disoriented or confused from time to time. When that happens we search our surroundings for some reassuring information that allows us to regain our bearings and confidence. That information might come in the form of a sign, a landmark, a sound or even a smell. Most commonly, however, we rely on signs and the information they provide for reassurance.

Often overlooked or deemed a necessary evil, signs and sign systems are an important component in the social and civic fabric of our built environment. Without signs and the order they bring to the often-chaotic world in which we live, our experience of the world would be quite different. Imagine the chaos of an airport, train station, or even a city if there were no signs to direct us to a gate, a platform or an address. The stress level would be through the roof!

To be sure, signs can be a nuisance and contribute to visual pollution. But they also contribute to the social good. Sensitively designed and deployed signs reduce stress and anxiety by providing reassuring information about place, time, and direction. If there is one thing our over-scheduled, media-saturated society has in abundance, it is stress and anxiety. By reducing these feelings, signage allows us to relax and contributes to our overall sense of wellbeing. This, in turn, promotes feelings of safety and security and feeling safe and secure is a comfort. One could say that effective sign systems are the visual equivalent of comfort food.

Signs not only contribute to our sense of wellbeing, they also help define who we are as collectives, as communities. Community wayfinding sign programs can reinforce a neighborhood’s personality. Sign programs in historic neighborhoods often incorporate icons, imagery, typefaces and colors to reinforce a sense of history. People that share a sense of time and place often form tighter, more cohesive communities. Tighter communities tend to be safer, cleaner and more productive. Communities also benefit economically when sign programs direct visitors to shopping districts and recreational areas. Well-designed sign systems help communities feel connected, build civic pride, and promote economic activity.

Signs also play a leading role when towns and cities embark on branding and placemaking initiatives. Times Square in New York would not be the visually-chaotic-razzle-dazzle-crossroads-of-the-world place it is without the intentional, encouraged and exuberant abundance of signs. Las Vegas would not be the same without its iconic casino signs. And on a smaller scale, towns and neighborhoods across America rely on signs as part of their identity and history. Old and faded signs often become landmarked items that define a community’s personality and sense of place. The iconic Maxwell House Coffee sign in Jersey City, NJ and the Domino’s Sugar sign in Brooklyn, NY have remained despite the companies that erected them having moved on. Businesses all along the length of Route 66 take full advantage of the ubiquitous US Highway 66 shield to brand themselves.

Many things have social value and enhance the public good. People, objects, sounds, and sights all have an impact on our quality of life. Signs make our communities and buildings more accessible, remind us of our past, stimulate economic activity and make our environments better places in which to live.