Pre-attentive Processing: How Is It Effective in Sign Design?
By
According to digital media experts, an average
person is exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 ads per day in 2021, a
significant increase from 50 years ago when an average person would only see
between 500 to 1600 ads each day. The internet is the primary driver of this
change, as most of the messages and advertisements we see daily are now online.
However, physical advertisements, particularly signage, are still crucial for
brand success, as we still see hundreds of thousands of physical advertisements
daily.
With so many images and messages competing
for our attention, how can you make your sign stand out? The answer lies in
pre-attentive processing, a technique used by scientists to increase the
effectiveness of business
signage. By using pre-attentive processing in
sign design, you can capture the viewer's attention and make your message more
memorable.
Pre-attentive
Processing
Pre-attentive processing refers to the
brain's automatic and unconscious process of visually processing the
environment. Within 200-500 milliseconds, the brain processes and forms a
complete picture of our surroundings in our spatial memory. This processing is
facilitated by four feature detectors or neurons that recognize main stimuli,
which correspond with four elements in visual design: color, form, spatial
position, and movement. By using these elements effectively in sign design, we
can organize our signs to capture attention with a minimal conscious effort
from the viewer. The objective is to collaborate with the brain rather than
work against it to make our signs stand out amidst the countless messages and
images seen by our target audience every day.
4
Elements of Custom Business Signage Design
Colin Ware, in his book
"Information Visualization: Perception for Design," describes four
visual design properties, known as the 4 Elements. While these elements apply
to various designs, let's focus on how they can be utilized in commercial sign
designs for optimal results.
1.
Color
If you have a background in design,
you've likely encountered various scales for measuring color. The most common
ones include the RGB color model
utilized for digital screens and the CMYK color model
utilized for printing. In the context of sign design, we'll be focusing on the HSL color model.
HSL represents hue, saturation, and
lightness. The HSL model can be viewed in the color wheel to the right. Hue
determines the actual color of the design element based on the colors of the
rainbow, while saturation indicates the level of the given hue present in the
design element. Lightness refers to the gradient between black and white,
creating a cylinder model as seen in the image to the right.
In sign design, areas with higher
contrast often garner the most pre-attentive processing time. To create such
areas, we can leverage three elements: hue, value, and saturation. It's
important to note that color contrast may not appear the same in diverse
environments and for various audiences. Therefore, it's essential to consider
factors like the time of day when your sign will be viewed, the seasons it will
endure, and its geographical location. Additionally, incorporating color
psychology into your design is worth exploring.
2.
Form
The second element we'll discuss. While
color is an effective method of capturing attention, form, particularly size, can
also be used to draw the eye. The bigger something is, the more noticeable it
becomes and conveys a sense of significance in the design.
Form encompasses more than just size.
It also contains factors such as shape, curvature, collinearity, and the number
of design elements. Utilizing these aspects can help create a focal point in
your sign design, increasing its visibility to passersby.
3.
Movement
We're all aware that movement is a
potent method of capturing someone's attention. It's why we wave across the
room at large crowds events to communicate our location to the other person.
However, while movement can be highly
effective, it can also become a distraction from the message or information
that you're attempting to convey. Strobe lights are a prime example of how
excessive movement can be disorienting. If you decide to incorporate this
element in your commercial sign, be mindful of striking a balance between
movement that's eye-catching and that doesn't lead to sensory overload.
Achieving this balance can be challenging but is essential for an effective
sign design.
4.
Spatial Positioning
Spatial positioning is an integral part
of the form, but we'll discuss it separately to highlight the significance of
incorporating depth and balanced space in your sign design. Negative space,
which refers to the space between critical design elements, is crucial in
emphasizing your business name and logo.
Depth perception occurs in 3D, and it's
how we perceive the relationship between two or more design elements relative
to ourselves. In the context of a physical sign, depth perception becomes even
more important because you can incorporate actual dimensionality into your
design. For instance, channel letters, as pictured, add more visual interest to
your sign by creating a sense of depth. The letters don't lay flat on the
facade, but instead stand out, adding a unique visual appeal.
Conclusion
Regrettably, there is no established
mix of these elements that research has proven to effectively grasp the
pre-attentive processing of a target audience, regardless of whether they are
driving or not. It will be necessary to assess various designs to ascertain the
most suitable one for your particular location, brand, target audience, and
financial resources. Nonetheless, it can be assumed that utilizing
pre-attentive processing in sign design will enhance its distinctiveness from
others.
