Custom Wood And 3 Dimensional Sign Questions And Answers

Q & A From Conestoga College Graphic Design Students

We are always happy to welcome the Graphic Design Students from Conestoga College into our Sign Workshop.  This year a group of thirty first year design students came by to learn about the sign design process.  They will be creating their first sign project shortly and had a lot of great questions for Peter.  Running a custom sign shop for almost 20 years, Peter has a lot of insight about sign design and how it compliments the graphic design field.  Below is a list of some of the questions the design students asked along with the answers Peter provided to help them with their first custom sign project.

Q: How did you get into the sign industry

A: I worked at a sign shop in my teens. Then I went on to get a degree in Fine Arts at University Of Guelph and then decided to start The Sign Depot

Q: What type of sign work do you prefer

A: Something that is challenging, often large scale 3 dimensional signs require a bit of problem solving, so I enjoy creating signs that get me thinking about how it can be created.

Q: How do you decide how on how big a sign should be?

A: I take photos of the building and put them into my software. When I design a custom business sign I can see what it will look like on the building. Trust your eye. You know what looks best.

Q: Any recommendations for an on site sign versus a highway sign?

A: When designing a sign for a high traffic area think of the message you want to get across while traffic is going by quickly. Less is more. Make the sign memorable not messy. For on site signs such as the restaurant signs we do, it is about relaying the message of experience you will have when you visit that establishment.

Q: I noticed that you have won an award for the 3 Dimensional Sign for Beertown, can you tell us a bit about that sign?

A: We wanted the look of the retro sign but wanted give it a modern feel. We used LED lights as a stand in for marquee light bulbs, as for the mural there was a template made that was spray painted on the building followed by artistic hand painting on the sign.

Q: What if you didn’t agree with client’s sign idea? Do you let them know?

A: I believe it is my responsibility as a designer to let them know about what makes for good sign design and I would make recommendations. Let them know that a good sign is a good investment for their business. So many customers have let me know that their sales increased because of their new sign. Additionally I think all of our signs stand as a business card for Sign Depot, we always think of how it will reflect on this business.

Q: When it comes to your gold leaf signs why do you choose 23K gold leaf?

A: We are very familiar with this type of gold leaf and know the kind of shine it can bring to our custom signs.

Q: How big is your customer base?

A: We are well established here in our community, as well as nationwide and have shipped our signs in the USA market too.

Q: Have you ever made a sign that was too big for your shop?

A: No, that goes back to our problem solving and business sign solutions that we design for our clients and why we have such a big sign workshop.

Q: Have you ever been approached by a show like Restaurant Makeover?

A: Not yet, you can go ahead and set that up though! We are involved in a lot of restaurant design builds and some of the experiences we have come across would make for some great reality tv!

Advice For Young Designers

Peter also had some parting words for these aspiring graphic designers

Always strive to be the best in class. When you’re out looking for jobs you want to let people know you are the best of the best.