The signs featured throughout this event highlight key findings from independent, peer‑reviewed research funded by the Sign Research Foundation (SRF).
Click the button above or scroll down to explore how the numbers and design comparisons you’ve seen connect to real‑world signage situations and the research behind them.
SRF Research - At a Glance
- 75% of consumers notice a sign before anything else, making signage a key driver of first impressions.
- 60% of businesses reported sales increases after adding or updating their sign.
- 61% of American consumers say they failed to find a business because the sign was too small or unclear.
- A 16% increase in weekly sales followed targeted changes to exterior signage.
- 91% of consumers expect signs to be readable at a glance, especially for passing motorists.
- 36% of American consumers report visiting a new store because of the quality of the sign.
And beyond the numbers:
- Glare and visual clutter can significantly reduce sign visibility in real‑world environments.
- SERIF vs. SANS SERIF affects how easily sign text can be read at typical viewing distances.
- Ineffective wayfinding can cause people to miss destinations or abandon a space altogether.
- ALL CAPS vs. Mixed Case influences reading speed, with mixed case often supporting faster recognition.
- Cluttered sign design can slow comprehension and make information harder to process quickly.
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Looking for Something to Read?
Sign research often begins with simple questions: Why are some signs easy to read while others are overlooked? Why do people miss destinations that appear to be clearly marked? Why can small design choices lead to big differences in outcomes?
The research highlighted here looks at how people actually encounter signs in everyday environments—and what happens in those moments.
Visibility Comes First
If a sign isn’t seen, nothing else matters.
Research consistently shows that visibility is the first barrier signage must overcome. Contrast, lighting, glare, and surrounding visual clutter all influence whether text stands out from its background. This is why contrast thresholds and visibility benchmarks appear so frequently in signage research.
Higher contrast improves detection and reading accuracy, especially when people are moving, distracted, or only glancing briefly. These conditions reflect how signs are typically encountered—not idealized scenarios.
This helps explain why 61% of consumers report failing to find a business because its sign was too small or unclear, and why 91% believe signs should be readable at a glance, particularly for passing motorists.
Reading Happens Faster Than We Realize
Most people don’t read signs carefully—they scan them.
Research on typography shows that letterform characteristics and text structure influence how quickly information is processed. Comparisons like SERIF vs. SANS SERIF and ALL CAPS vs. mixed case aren’t about preference; they’re about how efficiently the human eye recognizes shapes and patterns.
Mixed case text often creates more distinctive word shapes, which can support faster recognition. Typeface details such as stroke contrast, spacing, and proportion also affect readability, particularly at common viewing distances or when attention is divided.
Environment Shapes Performance
Signs don’t exist in isolation.
People encounter signage while walking, driving, multitasking, or navigating unfamiliar spaces. Visual noise, competing messages, lighting conditions, and physical movement all influence how information is received. A message that works well in one setting may fail in another if the environment isn’t considered.
This helps explain why 75% of consumers notice a sign before anything else when encountering a new business, but also why poor design, clutter, or ineffective wayfinding can prevent signs from doing their job.
Small Changes Can Lead to Measurable Results
One of the most consistent findings across signage research is that targeted improvements matter.
Studies have shown that a 16% increase in weekly sales can follow focused updates to exterior signage, and that 60% of businesses report significant sales increases after adding or updating a sign. These changes aren’t necessarily about adding more information—they’re often about improving clarity, contrast, and readability.
Similarly, 36% of consumers say they visit a new store because of the quality of the sign, reinforcing that signage communicates more than location alone.
Why This Research Matters
Taken together, these findings show that effective signage is not accidental. It comes from understanding how people see, read, and move through spaces.
The research highlighted here turns everyday experiences—missed turns, overlooked signs, quick glances—into measurable insights that can be applied across retail environments, campuses, streetscapes, workplaces, and public spaces.
That’s the role of sign research: connecting human behavior to design decisions that improve communication in the real world.
