Having been in the sign industry for over 15 years we have found some golden rules for how to create a sign which is cost effective but also achieves the objectives of the sign:
- Target: A lot of people know that they need a sign but don't know what they want the sign to achieve for them. It goes back to simply knowing who your target markets are and appealing to them. If you are a Newsagent then primary colour schemes work well and simplicity is often the key, if you are a woman's high end fashion shop then branding is important and you shouldn't cut corners on the production of the sign.
- Get noticed for the right reasons: Some business try to get noticed at all costs with flashing neon signs and some businesses are so low key that you wouldn't even know that they are there. Getting the balance right is important, use a variety of signage solutions such as projecting signs, fascia signs and window graphics to convey information to your 'would be' customers.
- Light up: Use lighting effectively, there are a multitude of different options for illuminating your sign such as neon signage, LED's or fluorescent tubes. Each has there own benefits and choosing the right type can help your sign to be highly effective. For example if your sign is likely to be a permanent fixture and on 24 hours a day LED lit would be the best option as it uses the least amount of electricity and is the longest lasting. You can also use lighting in different ways to give different types of illumination such as halo illumination or face illumination.
- Brand: Get the branding right for the sign seems obvious but a lot of people fall down on this. This is where the design aspect comes in, you should try to have a clear vision of what you want your sign to look like but take advice from the experts when it comes to manufacture as if you can get them involved early on in the design stage it can save you a lot of time and money come the end of the project.
- Be Unique: Don't be scared to be unique and try something different, at the end of the day being in business is often all about standing out from the crowd and don't try to copy your competitors but be bold and be different.
