Sign functions Sign categories Environmental signs state something related to their location. According to their function, environmental signs may be classified into four categories. This classification represents a functional refinement of the three part division suggested in the Messages section. The two divisions compare in the following way: Three part division
Four part division
– identification
– identification
– explanation
– direction
– description
– instruction
– regulation
Identification signs identify a certain position or something located at that position. ‘290 Park Avenue’, ‘Seagram Building’, and ‘Four Seasons Restaurant’ are three examples of identification sign messages. Directional signs say what will be found in the direction indicated. A short text supplied with an arrow is the standard content of directional signs. Descriptive signs describe the state of affairs at a certain location. Signs with business hours and directories of large buildings belong to this category. Regulatory signs are sometimes referred to as ‘command and prohibition signs’. They regulate the use of an area with a view to safety, security, and utility. ‘No admittance’, ‘Hard hat area’, and ‘Members only’ are text examples of this category. Environmental signs relate to their surroundings in a way that excludes pure advertising. However, the four categories mentioned here may all include commercial elements. It has sometimes been suggested that the difference between commercial and non-commercial signs is that commercial signs persuade while noncommercial signs inform. That is a truth with limitations. All commercial signs inform and many non-commercial signs include elements of persuasion.
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