Contemporary Interpretive Signs: Necessary Evil or Dinosaur in Danger of Extinction?

Fixed, static signs have a lot of trouble managing multiple languages and cultures. In addition, this sign is arguably only informative rather than interpretive. Photo: Jon Kohl

Problems with Interpretive Signs

Interpretive signs have always been the weakest tool in the interpreter’s toolbox and understandably so. They lack the interactivity of a real human, multidimensionality of most exhibits, authenticity of heritage itself, movement of a video, liveness of an audio… In short, they lack most dimensions that promote engagement.

Most Interpretive Signs Are Not Interpretive

On top of that, in my 30 years of experience, I would intuitively estimate that 85% of interpretive signs really are not interpretive anyway. I make this claim based on the understanding that real interpretation seeks to transform perspective, deepen relationships with an interpreted object/person/place/idea, and forge greater connection. One could argue that any learning increases connection, but such a definition would destroy our field. We are not simply about learning.

An interpretive medium must do more than inform, it must provoke an emotional change behind a shift in perspective about a big question in life and often about oneself. For this reason, most “interpretive” signage and indeed most interpretation is really science or history education, not heritage or thematic interpretation. It doesn’t matter that a sign has an engaging layout or targets well the background of an audience and uses effective writing. You find these three qualities employed on most cereal boxes, in the hands of most decent marketers. Of course, marketers want to sell and that is not an objective of interpretation, but neither is to inform. Quite often interpreters confuse the very objectives of their trade and do not employ themes to help create new meanings that accompany perspective transformation. As Sam Ham’s TORE model indicates, ORE alone does not make interpretation.* (There are signs with other objectives of course such as orientation, regulation, warning, logistical, and I do not consider those here.)

Yet many large institutions receive thousands of people a day. They cannot attend them all personally, they cannot channel them all through a video projection auditorium, they do not have media to reach everyone, except perhaps bathrooms and food stands. But they can deploy signs rather cheaply to most corners of their property. Signs are important to show institutional presence, even if no one reads them. And we know that most people don’t read signs completely if at all or at least contemplate their contents. We know that signs are hard to update. We know they are inept at managing multiple languages and cultures of our visiting audiences. We know we shouldn’t design for “general audiences.” We know that if we don’t maintain them, then their positive sign of institutional presence turns into a negative sign of institutional neglect. Yet everyone uses them, therefore, we feel we must as well.

Maintenance is a huge challenge for signage, especially those located far away from services areas. Damage and deterioration can project a message worse than no sign at all. This series of storybook trail signs is found in a Foxborough, Mass town forest. Photo: Jon Kohl

New Paradigm for Signage

Pepper the Robot at the Smithsonian African Art Museum is more than just a walking sign. Source.

Digital interpretive signage at the Taliesin West campus at Frank Lloyd Wright’s house. Source.

In theory digital signs should allow inexpensive updating. Photo from the Jade Museum in Costa Rica. Photo: Jon Kohl

Although many people make fun of the augmented reality Pokemon Go app for its ability to possess its users, it is technology that has a strong future in replacing fixed interpretive signage. Source.

If there were an alternative route to standard interpretive signs, it would be to integrate some missing dimensions. Many sites already do this, of course. It would be to add three-dimensional objects to signs. Add video to signs. Give scripts to guides so that they can use signs with their visitors and not compete with them. Some signs are digital so they can be changed quickly and cheaply. Maybe future signs will be entirely replaced by mobile devices, whether cell phones or portable VR and 3D multi-media projectors or even robots and drones that quietly accompany us as we walk through the garden, museum, or park. Today’s signage paradigm resembles more prehistoric rock art than 21st Century artificial intelligence and social media. Today’s interpretive signage is running out of shelf life.

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*Real interpretation must have a Theme, be well Organized, be Relevant to a given audience, and be Engaging for it as well (Ham’s TORE model).