Don't Ruin a Good Building with Bad Signage
Food for thought - having spent months or even years working on the design of a building, how can signage add extra value?
Signage does more than just tell people where to go.
As the visitors of the building are guided through their journey, what kind of experience do you want them to have? What is the message that you want them to receive? What is the impression you want them to have of your building, your business, and your brand?
Signage, as a feature of the architecture of the building, can bring a space to life. It adds personality and it plays a major role in the overall experience of the built environment.
Signage can be art. Whether it is a simple directional sign or bold environmental graphics, signage is a unique branding expression that, when done right, can make the building more attractive. Great signage complements the building design so well that you can’t imagine anything else being in its place. It works with the architecture instead of masking or interrupting it, and is more than just functional – it’s beautiful.
When done badly, signage can be an eyesore.
No matter how well thought out the building is, no matter how much care and detail has gone into the environment, it can all be ruined by inappropriate signage and poor placement. It cheapens the aesthetics considerably, counteracting all the hard work that has gone into making the space look good.
In our experience, architectural signage is often bespoke, a custom design that brings a brand to life. Whether that is in the form of wayfinding and room identification that represents the visual elements of the brand, slogans and statements on internal walls, or illuminated signage on a city skyline.
The effect that it has on the visitors to your building can be immense, as simply knowing where to go puts your visitors at ease. Guiding people to the lifts or to the reception, identifying the bathrooms and changing rooms and meeting rooms, a sign in the right place takes away that anxiety of “am I in the right place?”
But not only that, the right signage reinforces your brand image, giving your visitors confidence in your brand.
We know that reliability increases trust, and it is hard to appear reliable without consistent brand messaging across all channels. Delivering that message, conveying the core values, while repeating the brand colours and other visual elements help your brand to become ingrained in the mind of your customers.
Done correctly, signage becomes an extraordinarily valuable way to showcase and emphasize your brand.
Done poorly, the opportunity is missed – or worse, the brand image is devalued.
When selecting your signage supplier and designer, make sure that you select one that has extensive knowledge of materials and understands the best way to strike the delicate balance between architecture and branding. The right signage supplier will have the technical knowledge to translate the architect’s vision into a working sign, without compromising on quality or losing the brand messaging.
Architectural signage is a powerful opportunity that creates a massive impact when it’s done right. Who will you trust with that opportunity?
