Graphic signage through the lens of COVID-19: The superhero in changing social behaviour

Abstract

Since the start of 2020, the world has undergone a series of drastic transformations – COVID-19 has forced us to make significant lifestyle changes and shift our social behaviour to ensure our safety and that of others. These transformations have been helped by developments in the signage industry; specifically, by giving a visual identity to COVID-19, new graphic signage has provided greater social awareness of coronavirus and helped governments and public agencies to disseminate and reinforce health-related messaging. In this article, we discuss the various transformations of graphic signage since the start of 2020 and explain how transformed creative visual signage elements are currently being used to encourage behavioural change and assist individuals to navigate through the pandemic. We conclude by discussing the role that these transformations can have in the post-pandemic world.