How to Hook ‘Em:
Five Steps to Planning your Interpretive Sign
Five Steps to Planning your Interpretive Sign
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The last time you were at a park, did you see any interpretive signs?
Did you stop to read them? Or, did you glance at them quickly and then move on? Designing a sign that gets people’s attention is an art. Just as writing the right headline for an online article is critical to grabbing viewers, the layout and content of a park sign must be carefully conceived to engage active park-goers. A sign must also deliver information to your reader as clearly as possible. It may be counter-intuitive, but the less information you present, the more likely someone will read it. In the case of writing signage, LESS is MORE. |
One of my favorite interpretive signs series, ever.
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#1: Start with the end in mind.
What objective do you have for your reader? In this case, think “active.” What do you want them to DO?
Examples might be:
#2: Gather materials.
What materials do you have (or could possibly find) that will best achieve your objective for your sign?
Consider things like:
#3: Determine the content.
Given your objectives from Step #1 and the materials you’ve gathered from Step #2, it’s time to connect the dots...with words!
One valuable technique in determining your content is to brainstorm using a “mind map.” Here’s how it works:
#4: Grab ‘em with a Hook.
Now that you have your objective, your possible materials, and the key information for your sign, it’s time to find just the right “hook” to get them to stop and pay attention.
A hook entices your reader to stop and read your sign in order to satisfy their curiosity.
Examples of hooks include:
Here are some examples:
Objective: Notice a specific type of plant
Raise a question: “How does this plant’s bark allow it to survive...a forest fire?”
Objective: Compare the setting now to how it looked in the past
Share a surprising fact: “If you lived here five thousand years ago, you would be standing at the bottom of a lake.”
Objective: Recognize why an area is off-limits to protect a particular animal
Focus on a character: “Just ten feet from this sign, a mother snowy plover is preparing a nest for her newly-laid eggs.”
What objective do you have for your reader? In this case, think “active.” What do you want them to DO?
Examples might be:
- Notice a specific type of plant
- Compare the setting now to how it looked in the past
- Recognize why an area is off-limits to protect a particular animal
#2: Gather materials.
What materials do you have (or could possibly find) that will best achieve your objective for your sign?
Consider things like:
- Photographs of the area, both current and historical
- Illustrations that highlight key aspects of your objective
- Maps and other Graphic Organizers
- Images of real objects
#3: Determine the content.
Given your objectives from Step #1 and the materials you’ve gathered from Step #2, it’s time to connect the dots...with words!
One valuable technique in determining your content is to brainstorm using a “mind map.” Here’s how it works:
- Write your objective (from Step #1) in the center.
- Next, write all the things necessary to understand that objective as branches off from the center. Allow yourself time to come back and revisit this mind map over the course of a few hours (or even better, a few days).
- Once you’ve got an exhaustive listing of all the information associated with your objective, start removing items by crossing them out. Your goal is to pare down your list to the absolute bare minimum, no more than 250 words.
#4: Grab ‘em with a Hook.
Now that you have your objective, your possible materials, and the key information for your sign, it’s time to find just the right “hook” to get them to stop and pay attention.
A hook entices your reader to stop and read your sign in order to satisfy their curiosity.
Examples of hooks include:
- Raising a question
- Sharing a surprising fact
- Focusing on a “character”
Here are some examples:
Objective: Notice a specific type of plant
Raise a question: “How does this plant’s bark allow it to survive...a forest fire?”
Objective: Compare the setting now to how it looked in the past
Share a surprising fact: “If you lived here five thousand years ago, you would be standing at the bottom of a lake.”
Objective: Recognize why an area is off-limits to protect a particular animal
Focus on a character: “Just ten feet from this sign, a mother snowy plover is preparing a nest for her newly-laid eggs.”
Let's use this process with some actual signs.
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These signs nail it:
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How could these be improved?
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