Victoria Bushby
Creative Lead
8 min read
21 | 01 | 2022
5 Top Tips on Mastering The Craft of Standout Signage
Whether you’re remarketing your business, starting a brand-new venture, or simply giving your branding a slight refresh, getting your signage right is key. While the idea of ‘cutting through the noise’ often refers to digital channels, the concept can be applied to physical sites. City centres and business parks adorned with cafes, retail shops, leisure spaces and more all need to be distinguished from their surroundings to attract footfall, and great signage is the key to achieving this.
We caught up with our specialist, Cheryl Duckworth, to find out her top tips on designing a sign that will truly set your business apart from the crowd, read on to learn more.
Choosing a sign is just like selecting a fine wine
“The types of considerations that matter when it comes to designing a sign aren’t all that dissimilar from choosing a fine wine! The main things to consider are colour, balance, depth, finish and appearance, and getting each factor right will equate to a sign that best serves your business”.
Colour
“When it comes to colour, you have a real opportunity to make the most of your brand palette with your sign. Whether you’re looking to marry shades together, or if part of your vision is to refresh your image by adding a contrasting hue, be sure to experiment and pursue all avenues before deciding. If you need some inspiration for colour, consider the overall theme of your business first, and create a vision board with colours that come to mind when you think of your business.
Of course, our sign experts and design team can assist too, but often, our customers are inclined towards certain shades, — and from this point, we combine our expertise with the vision they have. An ideal end result is a colour combination that lends itself to the theme and style of the sign, perfectly considered and suited to the individual business”.
Balance
“A common misconception is that your sign needs to pack a punch in order to make an impression — but there are many stylistic considerations to make, and striking the right balance plays an important role here. Many initial designs might account for boldness and bright colours, but without thinking about how these elements should be presented, a sign can easily become less impressive.
When we craft signs for customers, we account for the sign as a whole, allowing us to see any imbalances before production starts. With each design, we’re able to adjust colour, sizing, placement if the sign is mounted, or even make tweaks to the degree of back-lighting we’re using. All of these elements contribute towards a perfectly balanced design, which is key for ensuring the effectiveness of the end product”.
Depth
“References to depth in signage tend to cover areas such as adding dimension to height and width, creating a sign which literally ‘stands out’ when mounted. Depth can be added to a multitude of styles, and the space created between where the sign is mounted/the background can make them easier to read, while also being more likely to grab the attention of passers-by.
If your design just needs something extra to elevate its impact, then depth is likely the missing part of the equation — and it can turn a good sign into a great sign. As it is a rather particular consideration, it can be harder for customers to determine opportunities to add depth. Our team will always provide their expertise on designs that could be enhanced with some added dimension.
Finish
“The options are endless when it comes to choosing a finish for your sign, and modern businesses are constantly looking for ways that they can add a cutting-edge feel to their signage. Whether your finish is achieved by handcrafting, or if it requires the latest manufacturing production techniques, our team always ensure that the final touches add the exact appeal necessary.
Of course, the finish you need will be determined by the exacts of the project, and we always keep this in mind. For interior signs, you may need a finish that emphasises the key design features of your bespoke wall covering, or if you’re creating directional signs, you might be looking for a finish that strengthens the purpose of your sign. Getting the finish right for our vehicle wrapping service is especially important, your finish might even include adding some illumination or neon effects to your design, particularly popular with retail and hospitality clients”.
Appearance
“Finally, taking each of the above into account, we arrive at the final appearance. Colour, balance, depth and finish can be tweaked throughout the design process, and the final appearance should ideally be an optimum of each factor. Ensuring that each element of the design feels as though it’s contributing to a ‘whole’ is what we aim for, giving our customers exactly what they wanted.
Throughout every design process, we also keep the purpose of the sign in mind, as appearance has to marry up with the environment that the sign will be located in. A great design becomes worthless when its appearance feels out of place with its surroundings, so our team will always weigh this into the final product.
Whether it's essential or a treat, we strive to offer the perfect package; a combination of each feature… topped off with excellent company and taste! It really isn’t all that far from the wine aisle after all!
Got a signage project in mind?
Simply contact us and the team will be happy to help.