Signage and information at collections?

[AdrianW1963]

While sat here sorting out some old photographs from collections I visited in and around 2008/09.
I noticed I had not actually sorted out the signage for these collections and consequently I looked at all my collections signage and guess what I hadn’t done any.
I then started to look at how I could sort the images out and have decided to do them by species with the collection name and date for each one.
This then gave me an idea by doing this I could see how different collections try to educate us with the information on the signage.
My first quick question is do you think that signage for species should be aimed at the younger collection visitor in general or at the older visitor.
Do you think the signs should have a bright boarder to attract people to them?
How about putting a animated image so as to be able to attract the younger person to the sign or even putting 2 signs up one for the adult and one aimed at the younger zoo visitor.
Should collections add a different colour to the boarder for different families (Reptile. Mammals ect) so as people can get to know the different families of animal, this should be the same at all collections.
I must admit I find in general that all collections do a good job with the information they can put on the sign no matter what size the signage is.

 

[MRJ]

Quick answer:

• Don't speak down to your visitors. If they are interested enough to read the sign they will cope with plain but proper language. Of course do not use technical terms or acronyms they would not understand. It is quite likely if a child is interested enough to read the sign they would probably understand and know as much as the average adult.
• No animations, unless it is a special to tell a story. Once again don't speak down to your visitors and don't turn your zoo into a circus.
• Signs should be of a size suitable to the enclosure.
• Signs should be of a consistent style and placed in a consistent way so visitors quickly learn how to find them.
• Don't introduce special codes such as different colours for different families. It means people have to learn the code before they can learn about the animals and is a barrier for the "occasional" sign reader.
• Remember almost nobody reads all the signs but almost everybody reads some of the signs.

 

[AdrianW1963]

Thanks for your reply I do understand what you are saying I wasn't trying to make out collections should talk down to visitors just trying to see what people think of the current signage and how to improve it.

 

[MRJ]

Thanks for your reply I do understand what you are saying I wasn't trying to make out collections should talk down to visitors just trying to see what people think of the current signage and how to improve it.

I realise now that I said "you", but I was not so much talking to you personally but to anybody considering putting together some signage.