Abstract/Summary

Chinese-English bilingual traffic signs (CEBTS) are widely applied in public spaces in China. However, few studies have addressed the design of bilingual signs using two different scripts. The main research question is how can sign legibility be improved by the spatial presentation of bilingual location name(s) comprised of Chinese and English. The research begins with an exploratory stage addressing how the design of CEBTS can be analysed and identifying the design challenges of CEBTS aiming to identify variables to focus on. This stage includes a literature review and CEBTS design survey. An experimental stage examines the effects of adjusting the spatial presentation of Chinese/English legends on CEBTS legibility. The adjustments include changes in connecting spacing (vertical distance connects Chinese/English into a bilingual legend), separating spacing (vertical spacing separates bilingual legends), and text alignment. The approach to the experiments was a threshold method combined with a search task and accuracy check. Participants were asked to indicate which direction they might take by viewing a series of video stimuli and making an immediate response when they had identified each target. The stimuli simulated the view a driver would have on a road in which they were driving towards a road sign at consistent speed. The response time and accuracy were recorded. The findings suggest that the spatial arrangement of dual-script legend(s) affects sign legibility. The connecting/separating spacing can be utilised to group/distinguish dual-script information, and the text alignment should be according to sign complexity for a better legibility. The descriptive framework of the sign graphic system provides a design checklist for both academics and practitioners launching or reviewing a sign program for a legibility purpose. The insights of this research could be extended to bilingual signs using other scripts in both developed and developing countries, therefore having global impacts.