When a business reaches the point of needing professional signage, the task can sometimes seem a little intimidating. There are a lot of factors to consider! Most importantly, you want to reach your target demographic. Presentation is everything! This is where "thinking outside the box" comes in. Consider this: Most signs are seen on the move... from moving vehicles, passing pedestrians, ect.
These people are going about their daily routines, often running late or in a hurry. As a business owner, you must realize that it's a miracle if they even take 3 seconds to look at your sign, much less remember it. So what are YOU going to do to improve the odds?
STANDING OUT IN A CROWD
If your business is located on a strip of established store fronts, take a look at the overall local color-scheme. If a majority of the signs are green, for instance, consider orange or yellow as dominant color in your sign (provided the sign code allows it). Also think about the design of the sign (shape, size, placement). Is your sign going to stand out in a crowd of other signs?
STEPPING INTO THE SHOES OF YOUR CUSTOMER
Many business owners approach signage with a pre-concieved idea of what it should look like, often after hours of personal thought and design. After so much work, it's easy to become "attached" to your own design. The problem is, many of these business owners never stop to think that what THEY want in a sign isn't necessarily what THE CUSTOMER would like to see. You need to think with the brain of your customer... see your sign through the eyes of your customer. After all, you can love your own sign all you want... that doesn't mean it's a good sign.
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
As a business owner, you understand that cutting costs is sometimes necessary to keep everything moving. Cutting corners is a crucial part of owning a business. But how much is TOO MUCH? If you get carried away cutting costs on the design of your sign, you could end up with a sign that doesn't do anything in the way of getting your customer's attention. At that point, what IS the point?
A perfect example of "thinking outside the box" is the sign we did for Robb's Boulder Music. They came to us needing a Monument Sign, and had an idea of what they wanted it to look like: A piece of large flagstone with engraved letters. Unfortunately, what they wanted would have been lost to the eye of a passing customer, and didn't reflect the business in any way. Luckily, the owners had an open mind. We approached them with an epic idea:
Boulder used to have a business with a 'guitar sign' (similar to the iconic Hard Rock Cafe sign), and it was a well-known icon of the local community. After some time, the business closed, and the sign came down. People eventually forgot about it.
This presented Signdealz.com and Robb's Boulder Music with a unique opportunity. We could bring back the guitar sign, and put a little style back into the community! Now if a giant guitar doesn't catch your eye, what will?