class="tag"Posts Tagged ‘wayfinding’
No Comments Custom Interior Signs That Create Brand Awareness
Interior Signs For Business
When it comes to selecting a sign design for your company’s interior signs it is very important that it conveys your business brand and serves as a constant reminder of what your company is known for.
Most established businesses have a welcoming reception sign that includes the company name and logo, but they often stop with the branding there. Your logo and company name should be on all of your wayfinding and office signage as well. Whether is marking a meeting room or a building directory, your business should be represented throughout the interior of the building. This elevates brand awareness about your company as it relays the message that you are a professional business that knows the importance of clear communication.
Types of Interior Signs
When it comes to choosing interior signs for you company it it best to consider all the signs you will require. Here is a list of the types of custom interior signs that your business may require.
- Reception Signs
- Directory Signs
- Wayfinding Signs
- Washroom Signs
- Office Door Signs
- Meeting Room Signs
- Window Decals
- Privacy Window Frosting
- Elevator Signs
- ADA / Accessibility Signage (IE Braille, Raised Lettering)
Find The Right Fit For Your Business
Once you have selected all the signs that you require, its time to consider what materials they should be fabricated from. Choosing to work with a custom sign maker means that you have several options. You have a variety of substrates to choose from. You can also pick 3 dimensional signs and lit signage. When you find the right fit for your business we would happy to chat with you about pricing. Visit our CONTACT US page to be connected to one of our expert sign-makers. Together we can create the right interior sign mix for your business.
Custom Campground Signs For Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Memorial Camp
Time To Sign Up For Camp
This is the time of year when many families are spending summer their vacation time at cottages and campgrounds. It may be for fun in the sun, canoeing in lake or cooking over a campfire. To ensure that children that may not have an opportunity to experience the outdoors in that way get a chance to, the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation sends kids to camp through sponsorship and the funds raised at their annual CAMP DAY.
Custom Signs For Campground Operations
Running a summer camp has many challenges and often custom signs can assist with some organizational logistics. Whether it be for wayfinding on the grounds or organizing cabin groups, signage can help simplify tasks for camp administrators. The Tim Horton Memorial Camp decided that their signs needed to be a mix of bright and bold signage to clarify what needed to be where for their camp. Below are a few examples of signs that the expert sign-makers here at The Sign Depot created for the campground.
Creating Summer Memories
We think that camping is a great way to create lasting summer memories. It also teaches responsibility, how to problem solve and it creates a co-operative atmosphere among the campers. Developing these skills through fun and team work will help kids function in today’s world, and it helps create the confident, motivated leaders of tomorrow. We hope you take the opportunity to get outdoors this summer. It can help you stay active, enjoy the what nature has to offer and may just change your perspective on things. Do you have a summer camp experience that you want to share with us? We would love to hear it. All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post.
For more information on how you can help send kids to Tim Horton Children’s Foundation Memorial Camp be sure to visit their donation page.
Five Types Of Custom Business Signs That Draw Attention To Your Company
Bring Your Business The Attention It Deserves With Custom Signs
With so many things attempting to grab the attention of the population, shouldn’t your business be one of those items? We have compiled a list of five types of custom business signs that draw attention to your company.
1. Grab Attention With A High End Exterior Business Sign
Your building’s exterior is often the first impression of your business. Make it a memorable one with a high end exterior sign that conveys what your establishment is all about.
Choices for Custom Exterior Signs include
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Monument Signs
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Dimensional Entrance Signs That Serve As Landmarks
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Projection Signs
2. Provide Wayfinding To Ensure Your Potential Clients Find You With Ease
Many people find your business through Google but you still have to be sure they can find your address without frustration.
Some examples of Wayfinding Signs include
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Entrance Markers
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Parking Lot Signs
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Accessibility Signage (also known as ADA signs)
3. Portable A Frame Signs To Advertise Specials
Portable A Frame signs work to grab the attention of both vehicle and foot traffic in your area. They are often used to advertise time sensitive specials or to create brand buzz.
A Frame signage options
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Metal A Frames That Hold Coroplast Inserts For Temporary Advertising
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Chalkboard A Frames For Message Boards That Are Changed Frequently
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Wood A Frames With Business Logos And Company Information For Info Hubs
4. Custom Reception Signs For Brand Recognition
When a potential client makes the decision to enter your business be sure to capture their attention with a custom reception sign that reflects your business.
Reasons for Reception Signs include
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Having A Professional Looking Entrance
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Increase Brand Awareness
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Give Clients Another Wayfinding Landmark Within The Building
5. Promotional Signage To Promote Your Company
Promotional signs are used to drawn in new customers. They often include some element of fun to attract new business.
Ways To Use Promotional Signs
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Trade Shows To Guide People To Your Booth
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In House Promotions To Reward Clients
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Promotional Vehicle Graphics To Serve As A Moving Advertisement For Your Business
These five reasons are just some of the ways custom business signs work for you. To learn more be sure to visit our blog often and find a sign system that will work with your company. When you have something in mind, be sure to CONTACT US for your free quote.
Custom Cottage Signs And Address Markers
Cottage Signs That Stand Out From The Rest
Big or small, custom crafted cottage signs can prove to be great address markers. When your guests are looking to find your cottage or cabin, there are some important details to think about to ensure your sign is getting the job done. When the expert signmakers here at The Sign Depot created The SCHWANS sign in the image above, the following three items were considered.
Font Size
A large font is always a good choice. If the font is too small it will be difficult to read from a distance. When it comes to address markers for your cottage/cabin it is better to be seen and not passed by.
Colour Choice
When finishing a cottage sign, choosing colours that create contrast assist with increasing visibility. In this case, the bright letters stand out much better against the dark background. This is also important for wayfinding purposes.
Creating Dimesion
This wood sign was sandblasted. This means the wood was carved into to create the background leaving the letters raised and creating dimension in the sign, once again increasing visibility of your sign.
If the above three items are considered when designing a cottage sign and/or address marker, you are certain to find the results you are looking for. Plus you can rest easy knowing that your visitors will be able to find you.
There are lots of other ways to customize a cottage sign to your personal taste. When you choose to have a custom sign shop create your cottage sign possiblities are endless. Read more about it on our post about the Advantages Of Working With A Custom Sign Shop.
Heading to a cottage or cabin in the near future? Be sure to check out our list of the Best Campfire Recipes To Try Out At Your Cottage Or Cabin.
Incredibly Canadian Custom Signs
Being a Canadian Sign Company we thought we would pay tribute to Canada by showcasing our incredibly Canadian Custom Signs. We think these custom signs we have created represent some of the great signs and symbols of Canada.
14 Incredibly Canadian Custom Signs
1. Cottage Country
Canada has several destinations known as cottage country. To hear what our readers think when they hear the word cottage be sure to read our post Custom Wood Cottage Signs And Making Memories.
2. Canadian Beer
This Molson Canadian Brewhouse sign is a montage of Canada. Not only it it all about beer, the brew’s name is Canadian, and it is surrounded by a maple leaf and is situated in the Air Canada Centre.
3. Canadian Moose
One of the many recognized Canadian symbols is the moose. Because it is very recognizable this moose made a great landmark in terms of a findabilty and wayfinding sign.
4. Mounties
In Canada the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. otherwise known as the RCMP or the Mounties have always been a respected symbol of Canada.
5. The Great One
Wayne Gretzky is known as the Greatest NHL Player of all time, so this Dimensional Restaurant Sign pays homage to his jersey number 99
6. Canada Goose
Although Eddie Bauer is an American company, they choose to represent their outdoor apparel company with a Canada Goose.
7. Harvey’s Hamburger Chain
If you live in Canada then there is a good chance you have the slogan “Harvey’s Makes Your Hamburger A Beautiful Thing” in the back of your mind at all times.
8. The Beaver
As many of you are aware the beaver is a popular Canadian wildlife symbol. Enough said.
9. The Polar Bear
As another Canadian symbol, the polar bear represents The Great White North.
10. Tobogganing
While we are on the topic of snow, we love our outdoor winter activities here in Canada. Tobogganing is tops here at The Sign Depot.
11. Niagara Falls
A natural wonder located here in Canada, Niagara Falls Ontario is tourist destination. It’s a place where everyone is looking to have a Barrel Of Fun.
12. The Loon
The loon is another Canadian bird that symbolizes Canada. So much so that we have it on our Canadian dollar which is otherwise known as “the loonie”
13. Tim Horton
Whether it you are talking about the man, the hockey player, the coffee shop or the campgrounds, the name Tim Horton is known coast to coast.
14. The Maple Leaf
This sign located in The Sign Depot showroom is another combination of Canadian symbols. It is all about the Maple Leaf and Maple Syrup. Both items are definitely signs you are in Canada!
While these are custom signs are incredibly Canadian, we make so many other types as well. Need more information about aquiring a custom sign from The Sign Depot? Then visit our CONTACT US PAGE.
HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!
A New Landmark For Waterloo Region When St Jacobs Market Opens Its New Building
St Jacobs Market Celebrates Their New Landmark
It was last October when we wrote about Canada Am visiting the St Jacobs Farmers’ Market. Now the St Jacobs Market has more exciting news to share. After their landmark building was destroyed by a fire, they are now ready to unveil their new building this Thursday June 11, 2015. They will be opening the new market building to the public that morning. For those who live in The Region Of Waterloo this is exciting news. So much so that when The Sign Depot sign installers were putting the sign on the building’s exterior it managed to garner a bit of attention from the local media.
It feels familiar, but the new @stjacobsmarket isn't a 100% duplicate. Here's @DavidImrieCTV: http://t.co/Rk6d9Np2IY pic.twitter.com/4UcMCZPI0H
— CTV Kitchener (@CTVKitchener) June 4, 2015Farm Market Signs
When it comes to Farm Market Signs there are several choices. The St Jacobs Farmers’ Market wanted to ensure that the signage for the new building was highly visiable from various spots at the market. To acheive this PVC letters were router cut and finished white. The white letters installed against the red exterior of the building created a lot of contrast and as the image below shows, it allows you to see the new market building from quite a distance.
Tourist Landmark
The St Jacobs Farmers’ Market serves as year round landmark destination for tourists. People visit the St Jacobs Market by the busload, so ensuring they can find their way around the market is incredibly important. Whether it be building signage or wayfinding signs, having a points of direction or places to meet at a busy place like a farm market makes getting around a lot simplier for those not familiar with the surroundings.
Have you heard of the St Jacobs Farmers’ Market before? Did it inspire you to come to The Region Of Waterloo for a visit? Let us know in the comments! We want to hear about your experience there, or about any farm market you frequent.
Interior Signs And Indoor Wayfinding Systems
Interior Sign Design
Interior signs are often an afterthought for most businesses, but they are of the upmost importance when it comes to clarity for your clients. Having clear interior signs marking the reception area, offices and wayfinding helps direct your clients to their destination without them having to ask directions.
Reception Signs
A well branded office includes a custom reception sign. It is one of the first things people notice as they enter your building, office and/or store. Your reception sign should be welcoming and let the client know the level of professionalism they can expect from your company. It should reflect your standards of execellence and convey what your business can provide for them.
Interior Office Signs
Interior office signs are usually a mix of door signage and directories. They display who you can find and where you can find them. Often office signs are name plates on the outside of a solid door, installed on a wall or part of a large plaque.
Vinyl decals applied to a glass door and/or window are also a great alternative. Additionaly floor by floor directory systems give those inside the office a good indication of where their destinations are inside the bulding.
Wayfinding Signage
No one enjoys asking where to find the washroom or which hallway are the elevators located in. Wayfinding signs give clarifciation where everything is in the building. Whether it is to clearly mark which way to the stairwells or how to find the waiting room.
Interior Sign Design Options
There are several options when it comes to interior signs. They can be custom crafted to match your current branding, or designed during a re-brand of your business. You have the option of the size, logo, materials, colours and graphics when you choose a custom sign shop to create your indoor signs.
Indoor Sign Considerations
A few things to consider when it comes to your indoor signs
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Are they in compliance with accessibility guidelines? Read more about ADA Signs and learn the Ontario and Canadian Accessibilty Standards
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Will the signs be installed in well lit areas or do the signs themselves need to to be lit?
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Do the interior signs match the business branding?
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Does the wayfinding signage flow from the time the client enters the building until they find their destination inside?
Once those four factors have been established, it’s time to contact an expert signmaker to get your signage package put together and installed to your satisfaction.
Custom City Signs Reflect An Area’s Best Attributes
City Branding and Custom Signs
This week I noticed a lively conversation on facebook regarding City Signs. The conversation began with Chris Farais of Kitestring‘s status about Hamilton Ontario and the CBC Post about City Signs. The CBC Show Me A Sign post talks about one person’s plight to have a Welcome sign created for Hamilton. Chris, being a strategic branding brings, up the question about what would best represent Hamilton Ontario on a city welcome sign? Should it reflect the historic attractions of the city or highlight things to come.
Our answer would be a long one which is what inspired me to write this post about custom signs in regards to welcome signs for communities and attractions.
Over the years we have created many custom signs for cities, attractions and heritage sites. Each one is very unique as the location itself. It serves the purpose of wayfinding but also foreshadows what people can expect from the locale. The graphics, text, font and choice of colours indicate what the sign is representing and in turn becomes a reflection of the site. In other words it serves as a first impression for that area’s brand.
Custom Sign Creations
The Clappinson Corner sign features a wagon wheel with spokes representing all the different areas that converge on one hub which is a reflection of their historic geographical area.
Tillsonburg’s Downtown combination of custom cedar and digital signage serves as an information centre while letting passersby know about the architecture of the area. This gives it both a traditional and modern feel.
Quinte West chose to focus their custom sign around their natural areas and that it why it is framed with log posts
New Dundee Ontario chose to mark the Doug Fischer Park with landmark sign that includes donor recognition
The Welcome To Dundas sign features the establishment of the area while not intruding on the surroundings, but instead complementing the garden where it resides.
While the Puslinch sign was created as a very tall pylon sign to capture the attention of the highway traffic and let them know about the local area.
As you can see there are several options when it comes to creating custom city signs. The city signs vaired by location, sign permit regulations and industrial locates. They are highly visiable without becoming an eye sore for the area. It is important to think about the surroundings when you decide on a permanent location for custom created sign. A great background can bring a sign to the forefront and be a great addition to a community.
Thanks to Chris for getting this conversation started and getting the residents in Hamilton engaged on the topic of their city signs. We look forward to seeing where this discussion leads.
What are some of your favorite City Signs? Let us know in the comments below or better yet post a picture of it on our facebook page! If we get enough we will dedicate a Pinterest Board to the images that are sent in.
Custom Interior Signs Add Dimension – Kitchener Rangers
Renovating The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium
The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium has gone through a lot of changes over the years. The latest being the addition of extra seating in the Dom Cardillo Arena and the renovations to the Kitchener Rangers office area. The timing couldn’t be better. With the Kitchener Rangers celebrating 50 seasons this year, the refreshed Kitchener Aud was a wonderful way to commemorate this celebration.
Custom Commemorative Signs
A large portion of our custom interior signs are created for reception areas and wayfinding purposes. This signage project was much more elaborate. This interior signs for The Kitchener Rangers renovations were designed to reflect the rich history of the hockey team and show off the modern facilities where they reside. As you can see below there were a variety of sign materials used to complete this commemoritve sign project. Each interior sign style represented a different era for this historic hockey team.
Built With Pride
The Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club is built around the area’s passionate hockey fans. Kitchener Ranger fans take pride in the city’s hockey heritage and support the team season after season. Many teams have a great fan base, but Ranger fans are loyal and constantly filling the seats in the Kitchener Auditorium. Passion and pride are what can take a team to the next level and perhaps that is why the Rangers decided to add an extra level to the arena.
Where Legend & Legacy Live
We are excited to see the Kitchener Rangers head into the 2013 Playoffs. The spirit of hockey has been alive in the Kitchener Auditorium for many years and we look forward to what is in the Rangers future for the years to come. To find out more about The Kitchener Rangers and the team’s longevity make sure to visit there post about Where Legend & Legacy Live. We know they will continue to #ROCKTHEAUD
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.
