... what WILL stay the postal carrier from swift completion of their appointed rounds is: Poor Legibility!
A postal carrier friend just told me about how much more difficult her job is due to address labels that are ink-jetted on mail. She finds she just can't read them very well. They are blurry due to the ink-jet process (and often upside down on the page due to designers not knowing good postal design). Plus, to fit long addresses onto the mailer area, the type is quite small. So you've got blurry small letters and delayed mail while carriers are forced to take time to try to decipher the addresses. Here's a good place for standards in the marketplace.
Postal regulators take note! It's time to set guidelines for legibility. This will save both money and time—both of which should be inviting savings to the postal industry.
To those of you who produce ink-jetted addresses: Help a postal carrier swiftly complete her appointed rounds without a visual migraine. Review your mailing practices and find a new method that is legible. (An Elder Eye Best Practice Review can get you on the path to more expedient mailings. Contact me if you're interested.)
May swift —and legible— mailings be yours!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Seeing The Light?
Being a new blogger has been an interesting experience in procrastination. It seems that my blog has become the last thing I attend to in the course of my work. It's an odd feeling to be putting thoughts "out there" to the world at large--literally. A bit intimidating. I will try harder to tend to The Legibility Doctor online "office lobby" conversation during 2008.
The 4th Quarter 2007 poll question—on whether you think road signs would be easier to read if they had white letters on a black background—came out ahead in the affirmative. From my research into this matter, I would have to agree with the majority. White letters have been shown to "pop" better out of a dark background so it makes sense that white letters on a dark background would also be more legible on a street sign.
One item of discussion that has come across my desk in the last month is the effect of lighting on legibility. Maybe it's the fact that it's the middle of winter and lighting is a sorely lacking element. But I think it's more likely the fact that, as we age, we need more light to see legibly. In fact, by the time we reach age sixty, we need double the amount of light that someone in their twenties needs.
I will soon be getting "progressive" lenses (the modern term for bi-focals) but I can still read OK if the light level on my reading is increased to near sunlight level. Of course, this means that all my three-way light bulbs are operating on high these days! I haven't completely switched to energy-efficient light bulbs yet but know that I should be more aggressive in doing that.
So the poll question for 1st quarter 2008 is about energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs and legibility. Vote now!
The 4th Quarter 2007 poll question—on whether you think road signs would be easier to read if they had white letters on a black background—came out ahead in the affirmative. From my research into this matter, I would have to agree with the majority. White letters have been shown to "pop" better out of a dark background so it makes sense that white letters on a dark background would also be more legible on a street sign.
One item of discussion that has come across my desk in the last month is the effect of lighting on legibility. Maybe it's the fact that it's the middle of winter and lighting is a sorely lacking element. But I think it's more likely the fact that, as we age, we need more light to see legibly. In fact, by the time we reach age sixty, we need double the amount of light that someone in their twenties needs.
I will soon be getting "progressive" lenses (the modern term for bi-focals) but I can still read OK if the light level on my reading is increased to near sunlight level. Of course, this means that all my three-way light bulbs are operating on high these days! I haven't completely switched to energy-efficient light bulbs yet but know that I should be more aggressive in doing that.
So the poll question for 1st quarter 2008 is about energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs and legibility. Vote now!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Background behind 4th qtr 2007 poll question on road sign legibility
The current 4th Qtr 2007 poll question came about after taking a 10-hour road trip back from a speaking gig and having problems seeing road signs in the dusk of early evening. The freeway signs, white on green, were so hard to read—let alone the lighting being nearly nonexistent. For me, there wasn't enough contrast between the white letters and the green background. There are many countries in Europe using black letters on a white background and/or white letters on a dark (nearly black or black) background as they have found it more legible to the eye, both during the day and at night. So I decided to present this issue to you in the form on a poll. So please vote!
With the aging of the population, it's inevitable that we will see an increase in problems on the roads due to road sign illegibility. In August 2007, the New York Times published an article about Clearview, a typeface that is being more widely accepted as a choice for road signage. The reasons why Clearview is more legible, follow my own research into what is important for making type legible. Take a look at this New York Times article.
The time to make legibility better is now—before we start seeing more accidents from visually-confused older drivers on our roads. Let's talk about positive change. What have you personally experienced that has led you astray on the roads? What do you think would make road signs easier to read? Or maybe you don't think there is a problem. If so, state your case!
With the aging of the population, it's inevitable that we will see an increase in problems on the roads due to road sign illegibility. In August 2007, the New York Times published an article about Clearview, a typeface that is being more widely accepted as a choice for road signage. The reasons why Clearview is more legible, follow my own research into what is important for making type legible. Take a look at this New York Times article.
The time to make legibility better is now—before we start seeing more accidents from visually-confused older drivers on our roads. Let's talk about positive change. What have you personally experienced that has led you astray on the roads? What do you think would make road signs easier to read? Or maybe you don't think there is a problem. If so, state your case!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Welcome to my blog!
Hello everyone,
I am so happy to offer this space for comments and questions about legible design. Please offer your legibility design questions, problems, solutions, or even just musing on stuff you've seen that gets your visual sensibilities in a twist. This is a place for us to communicate and find ways to make legible design a priority!
I am so happy to offer this space for comments and questions about legible design. Please offer your legibility design questions, problems, solutions, or even just musing on stuff you've seen that gets your visual sensibilities in a twist. This is a place for us to communicate and find ways to make legible design a priority!
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