Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding

Introduction

Pat Crawford — 2023-12-20

This issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding highlights the importance of respecting diversity in signage. As our world becomes ever more connected, signage can influence groups previously not engaged in a location. Such people may speak a different language, have different values, or simply may be visiting for the first time. Our collective knowledge in signage research allows us to be flexible and adaptable, meeting the needs of diverse audiences in diverse places.

Bilingual Signs: How Language Influences Shoppers

Susan Mantel — 2023-12-20

A growing use of bilingual signage among retailers in the United States begs the question, How do shoppers react to bilingual signs? How is such signage processed by consumers, what does it signal, and to what effect? Drawing from a national panel of American consumers, we exposed participants to examples of English, bilingual, or Spanish signage in a program of experiments that measured behavioral intentions, attitudes toward the stores and signs, and various expectations, perceptions, and impressions. Results show a direct effect of the language of the sign on shoppers’ behavioral intentions to engage with and buy from a store. Evidence shows that evaluations of signs shape evaluations of the stores they represent. Additionally, the language used on signs shapes shoppers’ expectations of service quality, with bilingual signs engendering favorable impressions of authenticity, inclusiveness, and interestingness. Signs using only a foreign language, by contrast, tend to lower expectations of service, communication, and inclusiveness.

Visual Mixed Messaging: The Role of Signage in Public and Private Governance of New York City Interior Privately Owned Public Spaces

Alex Donahue — 2023-12-20

New York City’s Interior Privately Owned Public Spaces (IPOPS) provides developers with bonus floor area in exchange for the urban amenity of publicly accessible space. Many issues can arise in jurisdictional overlap when city authorities and private owners govern space. Upon entering the front door of an IPOPS, one may encounter signage placed by private owners stating explicit rules discouraging specific uses, while city-mandated signage must state that the space is “open to the public.” Given recent efforts to replace publicly regulated POPS signage, this study provides a timely assessment. The research question is: Do private owners’ signs communicate in a manner that narrows the definition of “public”? Our research method includes transcribing all externally visible signage, including city-regulated signage and owner signage and performing a text analysis with R to discover the prevalence of language inviting use and regulating behavior. We analyze the data to discover how in contrast to city-mandated signage, owner signage tends to narrow the definition of “public.” We explore the implications for the governance and administration of public space.

On-Premise Signage and Placemaking: Aiding Lively Streetscapes to Maintain Signage Visibility

Robert Dalton — 2023-12-20

Placemaking is an initiative with roots in the 1960s and 70s to enhance public life in the urban setting. This complex notion requires multiple disciplines, flexibility, and a human-centric approach toward development. While developing new streets and enhancing the existing, built environment, professionals, community residents, and business owners must consider multiple elements to bring people to the street: furniture, vegetation, walkability, art, and culture. With this sidewalk interaction comes the opportunity for economic development. When the people are drawn in, signage can inform the pedestrian. This study builds a collection of 200 photos, representing four levels of placemaking intensities. Each photo is coded into 600 cells to count the quantity of placemaking elements. Visual attentive software (VAS) is then used to measure the sign effectiveness to visually stand out. Placemaking initially impacts preattentive visibility, while the building façade, road surface, tree canopy, landscaping, and the sky each play a role. Planners, designers, and business owners can use these findings to better inform the impact and interaction of streetscape and business.

Book Review: Public Space: Notes on Why it Matters, What We Should Know, and How to Realize its Potential

Pat Crawford — 2023-12-20

In this book review, Dr. Pat Crawford will discuss Vikas Mehta’s new book, Public Space: Notes on Why it Matters, What We Should Know, and How to Realize its Potential. Dr. Mehta approaches public space from a deep disciplinary grounding in planning, urban design, sociology and architecture, and his new book captures the diverse disciplinary ways of understanding and knowing public space.