Legibility research of highway signage typefaces: A critical review and a potential design-centred approach

Abstract

With the increasing prevalence of the automobile, the transmission of information through the visual means of signage became critical owing to the safety problems that followed the growth of the highway system and the continuous increase in traffic. This paper presents a review of research on the legibility of highway signs and discusses the key studies of the legibility of typefaces used on them. It examines in particular the legibility of the Latin typefaces in English language used on US highway signs, focussing on the most significant findings on the characteristics of typefaces and the features that most affect legibility. The paper also discusses the methodological approaches used to examine legibility in conditions of driving and suggests that future research should pursue the application of findings in the field of reading research and be informed by design knowledge.

Keywords:

• legibility
• highway signage
• intrinsic factors
• typefaces design
• research review
• design research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Sharjah under Grant [number 1703070304-P].

Notes on contributors

Shaima Elbardawil

Dr. Shaima Elbardawil, PhD, is a visual communication practitioner, educator, and researcher. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the College of Fine Arts and Design at University of Sharjah. Her research interest focuses on the visual communication of information in the urban environments with specific reference to graphic objects, signs and way-finding systems. She looks into the various typographic conventions that contributes to the legibility of our environments from cultural, aesthetic and psychological perspectives.