Looking around any urban environment, bespoke signs are a commonplace sight. There are used for many purposes, from wayfinding to customer information. It’s not unusual for bespoke signs to be used in these settings, but what sets a good sign apart from a great one?
Whether your project requires interior wayfinding signs or dramatic monolith signs to increase footfall, the thing that makes a difference in bespoke signs’ quality is its design. Although signage may only make up a small percentage of your building or advertising project (often only 0.1% of the total budget), getting the right sign for the job is of the utmost importance. This is where bespoke signs can come into their own, purely by the merit of their design. There are plenty of signage organisations out there who would be happy to receive that percentage of your budget to make your sign, but only the best will do, who are willing and able to work with you at every stage of your project to ensure your bespoke signs really look great.
Even before you start, your ideal signage company should have a track record of providing a wide range of fantastic bespoke signs, for a multitude of purposes. This means that they will have experienced sign engineers, who know the range of materials available for your new project, and to what purpose those materials can be put. But such knowledge is not enough to give you the best possible product; they also need great creativity to be able to work with you to incorporate the best design into your bespoke signs.
At this stage, bespoke sign making is all about communication and vision. How do you envisage your sign to look? Will it feature your brand logo? What impact do you want your sign to make? What branding publications are already in circulations, which have a timeless aesthetic, that you want to include in the design of your bespoke signs?
From here, it is a question of working with your signage company’s designers to come up with an amalgamation of all these elements, all the while listening to the advice that they give. Remember that they know the signage business better than you. Although you may have some ideas in your head what the finished sign might look like, remain flexible to go with their suggestions if need be. Bespoke signs are only truly bespoke if they feature elements of originality and flair—these characteristics will set your bespoke signs apart from the crowd, and draw visitors to enjoy viewing it.
Other things to consider beyond the materials is the illumination and other features that the sign company may offer advice on. With today’s modern technology, the sky’s the limit in terms of what great lighting may add to your bespoke signs. From LEDs which give long-lasting effective illumination at low cost, to the installation of touch screen displays to make your signs truly interactive. There are many possibilities that can give your bespoke signs the edge over the competition.
But what is the effect of investing in bespoke signs? Without doubt, it is going to be more expensive to erect an illuminated, lazer-etched, brushed aluminium, beautiful monolith sign, rather than just perhaps getting an engraved plaque or wooden sign. The investment betrays a great deal of subliminal information about your institution. By choosing to sweat the details of great signage, and go the extra mile, indicates the extent that you care about your individual customers or visitors. You are concerned about their levels of comfort, their ability to find their way in your business park or campus: essentially, their quality of life is important to you.
In addition, it shows a level of confidence in your brand identity and your organisation as a whole. Your eye-catching bespoke signs should be built to last for years, which means your company is going to last as well. For potential customers, this means that they can trust your organisation, and to make purchase agreements with confidence. If you believe and invest in your bespoke signs, you certainly believe in your personnel and your products or services. Find out more information about bespoke signs
Author: Andrew Durbin, Follow me on Google+
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
What Wayfinding Sign is right for your business?
There are an overwhelming number of different types of signs in use in Great Britain today. One of the key types of signs that are post popular is ‘Wayfinding signs’. These wayfinding signs are typically found on most street corners and help point the way to pedestrians and members of the public.
Other types of signs include Interpretation Signs, Heritage Signs as well as Monolith Signs, to name a few. This means you need to discover which one will be best suited to the purpose you need it for. Let’s take a look at what these signs are primarily used for, how best to use them and more importantly will they be effective in conveying the image or information you want to display.
Wayfinding signs are aptly named as they exist to help you find your way. They can come in many different shapes and sizes and depending on what, how and where you are directing people, can be displayed in a number of formats. There’s nothing more frustrating than unclear signage, which creates confusion and misguided information amongst members of the public.
In a small to medium sized office it’s hardly worth using a map, in a large corporate building then that would be recommended. These wayfinding signs can come in recyclable materials with a variety of colours and textures from wood to aluminium or even Perspex. Matching the colours and design of the wayfinding sign with the objective of fulfilling the signs objective, will help you finds the most cost effective, appropriate and functional sign to use.
The key to any type of wayfinding signs is to ensure that they are ‘weather proof’ when used outdoors. Often signs are designed to be built to last, but over a few years they deteriorate. Problems such as acid rain and general wear and tear can damage or even ruin the information that the sign displays. This will represent your organisation or area poorly and create unclear communication to the public. When making wayfinding signs it is important to make sure that you go through a reputable company who can guarantee a strong, long-lasting product with a portfolio to back it up.
Display information on a product, sight or place can be done through the use of heritage or interpretation signs. Most commonly found at historic sights and museums, interpretation signs are designed to be weatherproof and provide lots of clear and concise information that is usually contrasted against graphical representations of historic buildings or places.
Shopping centre signs are also on the increase with the rise of large commercial shopping parks. Clearly displayed on the outside and inside the building, a wayfinding sign can really make life much more easy for consumers. For this sign to be completely effective in creating a positive image, the logo itself needs to be produced to an extremely high standard and where possible, the fonts should be displayed at the right size and resolution.
A well designed logo will make a large difference to the finish and appeal of any wayfinding shopping centre sign. A good signage company will be able to add a quality finish and display the logo effectively without increasing the cost of the sign. Commonly a metal is used such as aluminium for clarity of the colours and edges whilst keeping the signs durability intact. However, many other signs are still produced using other materials such as oak or cedar to create a more rustic and natural wayfinding sign.
This is only a brief overview to the world of wayfinding signage. I have worked in the UK for a long time creating signs for a variety of organisations and it has taken me years to grasp the full impact that wayfinding signs can have on the general public. I have scorned the bad and appreciated the great which has made me admire and appreciate the impact that a quality sign can have on a place, building and even on a location.
If you’re looking to buy wayfinding signs for your business then be sure to find the correct signage manufacture and designer who can fulfil their promise to meet your exact requirements. Feel free to leave a question in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to help you out.
Author: Andrew Durbin, Follow us on Google+
Other types of signs include Interpretation Signs, Heritage Signs as well as Monolith Signs, to name a few. This means you need to discover which one will be best suited to the purpose you need it for. Let’s take a look at what these signs are primarily used for, how best to use them and more importantly will they be effective in conveying the image or information you want to display.
What are Wayfinding signs?
Wayfinding signs are aptly named as they exist to help you find your way. They can come in many different shapes and sizes and depending on what, how and where you are directing people, can be displayed in a number of formats. There’s nothing more frustrating than unclear signage, which creates confusion and misguided information amongst members of the public.
In a small to medium sized office it’s hardly worth using a map, in a large corporate building then that would be recommended. These wayfinding signs can come in recyclable materials with a variety of colours and textures from wood to aluminium or even Perspex. Matching the colours and design of the wayfinding sign with the objective of fulfilling the signs objective, will help you finds the most cost effective, appropriate and functional sign to use.
How to ensure that Wayfinding Signage stays for many years
The key to any type of wayfinding signs is to ensure that they are ‘weather proof’ when used outdoors. Often signs are designed to be built to last, but over a few years they deteriorate. Problems such as acid rain and general wear and tear can damage or even ruin the information that the sign displays. This will represent your organisation or area poorly and create unclear communication to the public. When making wayfinding signs it is important to make sure that you go through a reputable company who can guarantee a strong, long-lasting product with a portfolio to back it up.
Other types of signs
Display information on a product, sight or place can be done through the use of heritage or interpretation signs. Most commonly found at historic sights and museums, interpretation signs are designed to be weatherproof and provide lots of clear and concise information that is usually contrasted against graphical representations of historic buildings or places.
Shopping centre signs are also on the increase with the rise of large commercial shopping parks. Clearly displayed on the outside and inside the building, a wayfinding sign can really make life much more easy for consumers. For this sign to be completely effective in creating a positive image, the logo itself needs to be produced to an extremely high standard and where possible, the fonts should be displayed at the right size and resolution.
A well designed logo will make a large difference to the finish and appeal of any wayfinding shopping centre sign. A good signage company will be able to add a quality finish and display the logo effectively without increasing the cost of the sign. Commonly a metal is used such as aluminium for clarity of the colours and edges whilst keeping the signs durability intact. However, many other signs are still produced using other materials such as oak or cedar to create a more rustic and natural wayfinding sign.
This is only a brief overview to the world of wayfinding signage. I have worked in the UK for a long time creating signs for a variety of organisations and it has taken me years to grasp the full impact that wayfinding signs can have on the general public. I have scorned the bad and appreciated the great which has made me admire and appreciate the impact that a quality sign can have on a place, building and even on a location.
If you’re looking to buy wayfinding signs for your business then be sure to find the correct signage manufacture and designer who can fulfil their promise to meet your exact requirements. Feel free to leave a question in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to help you out.
Author: Andrew Durbin, Follow us on Google+
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