Visual Preferences in Urban Signscapes

Abstract

This research looked at the role of sign obtrusiveness and complexity in the perception and evaluation of urban signscapes. It obtained independent scores for features of 19 signscapes. One group of 30 persons judged physical features of 19 color photographs of retail sign scenes. One opportunity sample of 56 persons sorted the scenes into groups and then scored the groups for preference. A random cluster sample of 50 persons sorted the scenes for preference and rated each scene on several evaluative scales. From the two Q-sorts, the authors derived similarity scores between scenes and used them in a nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis to find the dimensions of perception. Sign obtrusiveness related to Dimensions 1 and 2, and sign complexity related at a marginally significant level to Dimension 4. The study also looked at the relation of these two variables to preference. It found preference associated with reductions in sign obtrusiveness.