Read The Sign!

We see signs everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. Signs have a role and purpose in everyday life, and companies like the Lowen Sign Company try to make them in such a way that their messages get read and understood.  Yet many times, people don't read them and do not appreciate the fact that most of these signs are there to make life better for everyone.

Can you imagine a world without any signs? Life could get confusing and chaotic at the very least.  But then there are also signs that sometimes add to the confusion like the one that read "prohibited on the flyover:  horse drawn vehicle", when there are no horses in our city!

And for small town girls like me, there are the unfamiliar signs in big cities like Ped Xing, which I initially thought was a Chinese word meant for Chinese tourists.  To my embarassment, I later found out that it simply meant pedestrian crossing.

Street and directional signs help people find their way around unfamiliar places. These are especially useful in towns, cities and buildings.  Singapore's Orchard Road for example, has a very good signage system that it is impossible to get lost there.

Other types of signs are banners for businesses like real estate and insurance, job sites and company offerings or promotions for mall sales and the like.

Good signs create a friendly and comfortable environment for people.  In the hospital where I used to work, one of the first things that the staff requested for were luminous directional and safety signs inside the building, and well lighted signs on the outside.  This made work easier and made them feel more secure.

Paying attention to safety and warning signs can spell the difference between life and death.  Whenever I stay in a hotel, the first thing I look for are their fire safety posters and emergency exits. And now-a-days, it is common to see safety signs all around construction sites.

But all these signs are useless if people do not read them. This is why sign companies have gone high-tech with state of the art printing machines that bring out colorful and well-designed signages that can catch people's attention. Gone are the days of the plain black and whites.  Today, signs are professionally done and compete with each other for people's attention.  

On hindsight, maybe that sign with the "horse drawn vehicle" was not meant to confuse...maybe, just maybe, it was placed there on purpose to see if people would actually read the sign.  Well, I read the sign and even posted it on Facebook. But you know what?  Out of every 10 people I asked, only 3 said they noticed it.

Read the sign, people! 

* Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.