Bad signage contributes to more people getting lost than a poor sense of direction. Consider the times that you failed to see a sign because it was too small or obscurely placed. Or stood baffled before a directory that was illogically organized and badly lit. In the realm of graphic information, wayfinding systems abide by their own set of rules. Many typefaces that are easy to read on a printed page are frustrating to make out in signage. The same goes for colors. This is why some designers and their clients are chagrined to find that the system that looked so stunning in miniature mock-up failed miserably when installed at actual size. [For guidance on how to do things the right way, a] recommended source is “Wayfinding: People, Signs and Architecture” by Paul Arthur and Romedi Passini (Focus Strategic Communications Inc.)

From: @issue The Journal of Business and Design, Fall 2005

Our businesses may not have to worry about wayfaring and road signage, but are there other ways we make it hard for people to see what we want them to see, and to find their way to the place or message we want them to get to? “Signage” has analogues in many things we do: from the way we organize our speeches, write our reports, or “sell” our plans. To build good signage, we need clear thinking, we need clear commitment to our message, and we need consideration for our audience. Failure to give good signs may be a symptom of missing something even more important.