Minor adjustments lead to significant improvements: influence mechanism of construction safety sign information transmission efficiency in the Mandarin context based on information coding processing

Purpose Safety signs are crucial for safety management on construction sites; however, their layouts are often inefficient, limiting information transmission. Based on information coding theory, this study examines how different layouts affect transmission efficiency and explores how image-text interaction adjusts information processing, reduces cognitive load, and enhances memorability. Design/methodology/approach This study employed eye-tracking experiments to record the eye movements of construction workers as they read different versions of safety billboards, analyzing attention, information processing, and memory effects. Fifty subjects with construction experience were recruited to view the signboards with pictures. The study explored the impact of layout on the reading process and cognitive effects, by combining coding processing and cognitive load theories. Findings Research has shown that adding pictures to a plain-text layout can significantly reduce the cognitive load on construction workers. In low-complexity conditions, the left image and right text layout reduce memory load. In more complex conditions, image-text interaction enhances information matching. In addition, Graphics enhance memorability by activating associative memory, while the interaction between graphics and text links safety information with construction experience, improving processing and retention. Originality/value This study highlights the impact of typesetting layout on information transmission efficiency from an information coding and processing perspective. It provides optimisation suggestions based on the integration of graphics and text, offering a valuable reference for the scientific design of construction safety signs.