The example of type for transport that I have chosen to analyse is this car parking sign.
Font Choice
The sign uses the same Sans Serif typeface throughout the design which comunicates clearly and easily to the viewer especially when the viewer is likely to be driving at the same time. This is achieved by the typeface's simplicity and lack of character which I think is why it was chosen for use in this sign.It communicates meaningfully as the clear display of information allows the viewer to understand the content immediately when looked at, allowing them to act accordingly. The typeface colour is also altered to communicate different sections of information to the viewer.
Information Hierarchy
Hierarchy is achieved in this sign through the use of colour and text size- the larger text displying the most important information. I find the various background colours behind the text a bit much and inappropriate as it distracts from the importance of the text information. However the use of various text sizes is appropriate as it allows the most important information to be seen first.
Usability
The users for this item are people who are driving in the area who enter the car parking zone. This covers a large range of individuals such as students or business people. Thier needs are fufilled as they would be able to read the sign quickly when driving and take the appropriate action due to the clear layout of information. The smaller text at the bottom of the sign may not be so easily read by individuals that are partially sighted due to the large quantity of text this size.
The design of this sign could be improved by varying the weights of the type and by removing the various blocks of background colour behind the text to improve the overall clarity of the information on this sign.
Well, you made this exercise quite difficult by choosing a sign that essentially works. The blocks of colour are part of the information hierarchy and break up the information further. This is purposeful and though it may not be pretty, it is purposeful. So, your challenge here is really a complete rethinking of the sign and how it communicates to its target audience. You say the user is anyone who uses the parking lot, but really the target audience is people who DO NOT have permits, right? There's a further reminder to those who do have permits to display them clearly and to not park like dicks, but otherwise, the sign is for non-permit holders. So how do you scare them off? Is £70 scary enough? Can you scare them off more? Could a pictogram help? What if I can't read English? These might be ridiculous ideas, I don't know, I've not visited your parking lot, but you need to narrow down the target and focus your creative energies on this one - because essentially the sign works.
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