Signs, advertising and the imageability of buildings: A perceptual selection in the view from the street in Amman, Jordan

Abstract The primary function of signs is to index the environment, i.e. tell people where they can find what. Their function, therefore, is to serve communication along streets. Signs on buildings, when left unchecked, have a propensity to move toward visual pollution of the cityscape. There is a need for research to investigate how to provide people with information that will foster environmental learning and at the same time protect the image of the buildings on which signs are mounted. This paper investigates the use of signs on the facades of buildings in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Environmental cognition research is compiled into a framework that permits a learning strategy to evolve at a conceptual level and protect the inherent imageability of buildings. Signage criteria are suggested with an eye to developing sign displays that aid in way-finding and that are compatible with existing architectural character, creating harmony in the built environment.