class="tag"Posts Tagged ‘findability’
Custom 3 Dimensional Signs Can Be Big For Business – Baden Coffee
A Big Bean For Baden Coffee
Finding ways to bring attention to a new location can cause difficulty for some businesses, but Baden Coffee knew just what to do for the opening of their sit down coffee shop and retail location. They decided a 3 dimensional sign would be a great way to attract attention to their establishment and increase the findabilty of their location. Baden Coffee decided to create a landmark sculptural sign that would make their business highly visible to passers-by. Over the years we have created several signs for Baden Coffee and they wanted to heighten the visibilty of their unique brands.
The 3 dimensional sign was created to extend their branding to the exterior of the store. A replica of the animated coffee bean from their logo
was constructed from Carved High Density Urethane (HDU) through the use of our CNC Router Table and a lathe to manufacture the rounded objects.
Below is photo recap of how the project evolved within our Sign Depot workshop.
Artistic Finishing Touches
An artistic custom finish was applied to the sign scuplture. It included a styrocoat spray applied to the surface to harden the HDU (sign foam) and serve as a base for the paint to adhere to. Painting was done in stages and made to match the character logo for Baden Coffee. Creating the custom paint finish for the Baden Coffee Bean sculpture added to the “look” of the 3 dimensional sign.
Bringing In Big Business At Baden Coffee
After the Baden Coffee Big Coffee Bean was completed it was installed above the main entrance. This 3 dimensional sign is sure to become a landmark for the Baden Coffee retail location and will attract the attention of the traffic passing by.
To see more pics of the Baden Coffee Team with the new BIG BEAN head over to their facebook Photo Gallery. To learn more about our 3 dimensional signs for business and how they can create a branding buzz, be sure to check out Proportion Is Everything post. There you will see how sculptural signs quickly become landmarks and a 24 advertisement for your company.
Signs That The Olympics Are Near and What They Share With Artistic Signs
London 2012 Olympic Games
Friday July 27, 2012 is the official start to the London England Olympic Games. In an earlier post it was mentioned that the London Olympic Games Design Font would be a trend for 2012. Now that we have reached the beginning of this year’s games there are a few more items that should be noted when speaking about the upcoming Olympics. Many of the ideas behind this year’s event are along the same lines as best practices for custom signs.
Design
The London Olympic build was custom designed with sustainability in mind. Permanent venues were sites that were refurbished to accommodate the games. Temporary venues were custom designed so that once removed there would be very little disruption to the area where they were constructed. Knowing what you want your design to accomplish is something the designers at The Sign Depot always have in mind
Be Memorable
Structure is one thing, but you need to be memorable as well. Art In The Park area near the Olympic Park will be noticeable to everyone attending the games. This area will surely find it’s way into many pictures/tweets/status updates in what is deemed as the most “social” Olympics yet. Creating a buzz and being noticed will be things to watch for during the 2012 Olympic events. Those will be the memories that will live on after the torch has been put out.
Make A Bold Statement
Being a Canadian company we definitely endorse this video! Finding ways to stand out from your competition is always the way to rise to the top. Choosing unique and artistic ways to convey messages through signs is something we defintely have in common with the London 2012 Olympic Games. Finding ways to be bold with sophisticated style is not and easy task but taking risks and stepping up to challenges are traits that we find commendable.
We even wonder if our post on Findabilty inspired the Canadian Olympic Team
Find What You’re Looking For – Findability And Wayfinding Signs
Somebody Give Me A Sign
Remember the U2 song I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For ? Or how about when the lead character in a movie throws his/her hands up in the air and yells Won’t You Show Me A Sign ? How many times have you heard the line Where Do We Go From Here? Although these might be a bit dramatic we see these statements as FINDABILITY issues.
How To Improve Your Findability
Website Search
Findability is usually reserved when speaking about Search Engine Optimization but we think it goes beyond your online search engine ranking. While we agree that your Google search status is very important, we know that people are searching for your info elsewhere too.
Yellow Pages
You may have heard that Yellow Pages puts you in with your competition, but it is also an opportunity to out-shine your competitors. We had a client call and tell us that she chose to work with us because our Yellow Pages ad was well designed and she preferred it over the other sign shops listed on the page.
As you can see it is a black and white ad. It consists of the important info and how best to contact us. Along with our tag line that we have branded ourselves around.
Business Signage
As mentioned in the post You Want To Go Where Everyone Knows Your Name your outdoor business signage is very important. To see if others felt this way as well we did a POLL on our Facebook page.
25 people took part in our quick survey.
They were asked
How important is a visible sign when you arrive at a place you have never been before?
Their choices were
- Very important I don’t want to drive past the destination
- Somewhat important I try to know the closest landmark/look for the address number
- Not important
Landmarks increase your visibility which helps with the Findability of your business. Address numbers are also part of signage. How you scale their size to their placement is something a professional sign maker knows all about.
Did I mention no one picked answer number three?
So the next time you hear that someone has Lost Their Way, you’ll have some great suggestions for them.
Conference and Community Seminar Signs – How To Play A Starring Role From Behind The Scenes
The 140 Characters Conference Arrives in Canada
I might not be the biggest, but sometimes it pays to be small but mighty!
This was the case for me last week. You see I never have attended a 140conf before & like most I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Infact I wasn’t even sure what I should wear!!!
I decided to cover myself in Magenta to match the conference’s branding.
At first I felt all alone but soon I had so many people find me in hopes that I could help them find what they were looking for.
I had some very prominent speakers and the rock stars of social media look to me for guidance.
Soon I had my own Paparattzi courtesy of Transitions Photograpy & Sean Yo.
They caught all my best angles & I was even brave enough for a close up.
Even my cousin enjoyed himself. He’s the one in the top right corner. He always wanted to be on the Big Screen!
It just goes to show you that although you don’t play a starring role, you can still be use and an intricate part of something much bigger. Choosing how to display your a custom sign is just as important as where you display it.
Logos and A-Frame signs make a big impact at conferences and seminars. They are versatile are create a lot of visibility for your business. They also can help with findabilty and wayfinding issues at the event. Creating a clear message is also key when it comes to community conference signs. Less is more, but remember to be bold and beautiful at the same time. You want to stand out from everything else around your business logo, but never be an eyesore.
To learn more about the 140 Characters Conference happening in our community make sure to follow the #140confONThashtag on twitter or join their facebook page
Custom Business Signs – You Want To Go Where Everyone Knows Your Name
Or At Least Your Business Name
So many businesses don’t realize they are missing out on the advertising opportunities that are right outside their door. You need to really assess the area surrounding your location to figure out the best way to draw attention to your store front. This is where you custom business sign can make a big impact.
Down On The Corner, Out In The Streets
If you call in for directions to The Sign Depot, we’ll tell you we’re at the corner of Borden Ave. & Charles St., but really we’re not. That is the closest intersection to our locale & as you can see it’s a very busy place to be.
We take into account that many will see that corner because they are either waiting at the stop light or in line at the drive thru. Which is why we are featured here
& chose this wayfinding text and image to describe where we truly are located on the street
From there it only takes a quick glance to notice our custom sandblasted wood sign from that corner as it’s protruding off the wall.
As you can see we also have a flush-mount sign to attract walk by traffic as well as window graphics for a welcoming entrance.
Sometimes you only have seconds to make an impression. Make sure to use that opportunity to it’s full extent by choosing your signage accordingly. Visibility is the key to getting your company noticed, and custom business signs are what makes the biggest impact on passers-by. Grab their attention and you may see some new customers walk through your door!
Need suggestions on how you can improve your business visibility? Make sure to contact us via twitter, facebook or email & We’ll make sure EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME
Visibility Is KEY When It Comes To Custom Business Signs
Notice The Signs
If you check out President Peter’s Sign Tips in our latest newsletter you’ll know how to measure your Letter Height vs. Viewing Distance. The first pic shows just how large the dimensional letters are in comparison to the installer’s height. The second pic shows how your business name looks in proportion to your building and the view from the public eye.Elements Of Sign Design
The key to your business being visible is creating custom business signs that reflect what your company is all about. Choosing letter styles that suit the business name and logo are important parts of the branding process. Always make sure to consult a professional sign designer when it comes to your company’s sign needs. They know all about design as well as sign requirements and quite often can take care of the sign permit process for you. Sign designers take many factors into consideration when it come professional sign design. Some elements in sign design include- textures and materials that compliment your company’s building
- positive and negative space and how it works together
- colours and graphics that bring out the best of your brand
- size matters, as you can see from the examples above