Alternative Terminal Sign Format Evaluation: Generating Efficient Information Dense Displays

Abstract

It is hard to overestimate the importance of highway signage that can convey large amounts of information in a very short period of time, especially when the traffic is heavy and moving quickly. Drivers who are slow to read a sign or drivers who make a decision at the last moment can be the cause of minor incidents, which slow traffic to a crawl for hours or, worse yet, be the cause of major crashes. Airports are one example of an environment where it is necessary to convey large amounts of information in a very short period of time. Arriving passengers must find their terminal. Typically, the names of the airlines departing or arriving at a given terminal are all listed together on a sign. Lists of up to 20 names are not uncommon. We tested alternative ways of formatting the airline terminal signs designed to reduce the scanning time. The results apply generally to the design of any signs intended to convey large amounts of information in a very short period of time.