According to Signs & Lines, a company that has been making great signs for over 35 years, a good sign needs to be aware of these four critical things:

• Audience – a sharp focus on key users;
• Message – design, brand, location, and visibility;
• Environment – the sign's location and nearby architectural features;
• Function – durability, information, static or interactive.

Clearly, most of the signs we see in the pictures have ignored at least one of these aspects.

"Irrespective of the sign type the key premise of a sign is to convey a message," Signs & Lines wrote.

"Usually this is a relatively short, sharp communication. The number one task of any sign is to get a message across as quickly and effectively as possible."

Business owners should remember that their signs are kind of a big deal. "Whether static or digital signage, your customers, users, guests, staff, students, and visitors need you to have good signage ... [because] it's the first visual connection with your company," Signs & Lines explained.

Good signs will:

• help them find your business;
• assist in their navigation of your organization;
• convince them that you are professional;
• assure them that they are in the right place.

"Transitioning from good to great signage involves many different aspects of design including logo, creative, positioning, colors, and manufacturing ability," Signs & Lines added.

Once designed in detail, a typical sign may undergo a number of steps to achieve a high-quality result. These include:

• routering of materials to create precision shapes;
• fabrication of metals to form rigid structures and frameworks;
• spray painting of sign elements to automotive standards;
• graphics imagery to bring the messaging to life;
• illumination by LED or neon for 24/7 visibility;
• assembly of all components;
• installation on-site at height or in the ground.

Or, in other words, there are plenty of areas where they can fall short!