Photo Credit: Jonathan Schechter
Without a hook, it is tough to catch fish. And without words and art blended into a creative, eye-catching package, interpretive signs often go unread and the opportunity to ”hook” a visitor’s attention is lost.
Powerful words—“Cold-Blooded Killers”—were the sharp hook for a new sign at the edge of a marsh boardwalk at Rose Oaks County Park, a 640-acre Oakland County Park 45 miles north of Detroit, Mich. Rose Oaks boasts 5 miles of hiking and equestrian trails, glacially created kettle lakes, woodlands, and a great diversity of wildlife, including beaver, mink, osprey, sandhill cranes, deer, coyotes, and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. When trail users reach the “Cold-Blooded Killers” sign, they stop and investigate.
Do your interpretive signs entice park patrons to pause and read? Would park patrons have stopped if the lead was a more matter-of-fact “Reptiles Live in This Wetland”? Supermarket tabloids know enticing hooks lure readers with outrageous headlines—even if the stories that follow are mostly fantasy. Park professionals must accept the simple truth—with visual distractions all around, the first few seconds of text and style presentation make all the difference in capturing an audience.