Visual disturbance from informational signage in architectural heritage environments: Evidence from perception-based analyses

Informational signage, including wayfinding, safety, and commercial signs, plays an essential role in architectural heritage environments. However, excessive or poorly coordinated signage can generate visual disturbance that disrupts visual environmental quality and undermines visitors’ cultural experience. This study investigates signage-related visual disturbance in six heritage parks influenced by classical garden principles. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating eye-tracking experiments, paired-comparison visual evaluations, semi-structured interviews, and visitor questionnaires. Through photographic analysis, different types of visual disturbance were identified, and their perceptual effects were further examined using structural equation modeling and regression analysis. The results indicate that disordered information hierarchy and inconsistency with the surrounding context are the primary factors reducing visual environmental quality, whereas signage quantity and color prominence exert comparatively limited effects. Based on these findings, this study proposes a visual management framework that supports coherent information delivery while safeguarding cultural perception and experiential quality in architectural heritage environments.