Two important ideas behind building signs are to present your brand image to the public and to persuade people that you are the company or organization they want to do business with. When weighing up signage choices, it pays to consider what contemporary materials and design choices best convey the image you want the public to have of your business.
Choice of Design Elements for Building Signs
Building signs should be consistent with your other branding in terms of logo choice, fonts, and colours. In addition to this, a major consideration is the type of impression you wish to create. Whether you want people to feel solidity and trustworthiness, fun and playfulness, peace and relaxation, or intrigue will dictate your design choices.
Take any of those and you may already be able to picture in your mind the design that would work. For example, a legal firm might prefer a sign with big, bold letters in a familiar, conservative font that’s probably in a single colour. A children’s play center is more likely to go for bright, contrasting colours — the more, the better — in a fun, playful font. Intrigue might be well served by a sign backlit with a pastel colour and maybe in cursive writing.
Design Principles for Corporate Building Signage
When it comes to business signs, there is a lot of support for the “less is more” approach. While the lettering may be big and bold, clutter should be kept to a minimum. The consensus is that more than seven words on a building sign is probably too many, and white space should occupy between 30% and 40% of the sign area.
Materials for Commercial Building Signs
With the rise of energy-efficient light sources like LEDs, illuminated signs have risen in popularity. Front-lit or back-lit 3D channel signs create a halo effect to make a strong impression. A modern variation on an old theme is to have blade signs that take the form of a lightbox instead of the traditional wood or metal. Digital signs can be used with great effect to display logos, textual information, and video.
Creative Applications of Building Signs
Here are some ideas for creating interest with your building signage:
- Try the rustic look. The incorporation of aged or aged-looking timber and metal into sign design doesn’t work for every business, but it’s quite popular for pubs, cafes, and restaurants.
- Combine window signs with window displays. Picture a bright, attractive travel company logo affixed to the storefront window, with a backdrop consisting of a beach scene with palm trees, and you have the idea.
- Don’t be too concerned with the literal representation of objects. A silhouette or simple, stylized representation often looks better.
Hopefully, we’ve given you a few ideas that might help inspire you to create a building sign that will be an excellent fit for your business. There is such an array of materials and design options that it can be confusing to know what’s best. At SSK Signs, we have the experience and expertise to answer all your building signage questions. Contact us today and let us work with you to produce a sign you’ll be proud of.
