The perfect sign will exude a sense of quality, professionalism, and class regardless of your niche. There has to be a sense of purpose for customers to trust you and your brand. This includes designing something that is empowering and will present the business in the best way possible.
For those who are thinking about designing or re-designing their sign, whether you’re looking for a sign company in Houston (or anywhere for that matter), it’s time to start with the basics.
Here are some of the most important tips on how to design a sign for your business and what to think about before getting started.
1) Visibility Matters
Before doing anything else, you have to think about the visibility of your business sign.
Is it going to be using a light-based design? This means it is going to remain illuminated during the night for potential customers to see. Is it going to be visible from 100 feet away?
These are questions that are going to play a role in what you end up doing. Always think about visibility and that can be done by focusing on contrasting colors/shades. These are going to be easier to read from afar and won’t be off-putting at the same time.
2) Understand Your Theme
What is the theme of your business?
For example. a clown shop is going to have a more laid-back approach to its signs compared to a government building that’s setting up a simple sign for its office.
Each situation is different and that has to be on your mind right away. Don’t assume the same theme can be applied to each logo because that never works. Sit back and think about the impression you want to leave on those who take a peek at your sign while walking by.
Do you want to look professional? Fun-loving? Entertaining? Goofy?
The options are out there and it’s time to choose a theme before doing anything else.
3) Big and Bold Fonts are Key
Fonts are going to set the tone for your sign and how well it stands out from everyone else. This is doubly important when it comes to using fonts with hundreds of other signs on the same street.
Use big and bold fonts that are going to be easy to read from far away.
This is going to make it easier to bring people in as they will notice the sign as soon as they take a look.
4) Consider Durability
How durable is the sign going to be once it’s put up?
You have to think about the environment and whether or not the sign is going to be set up outside. A lot of signs are placed near the door, which means they are covered from inclement weather. However, this is not always the case and some signs are going to be set up outside.
As a result, you can’t ignore inclement weather conditions and assume the sign will survive.
Always use the best materials for your signs and think about the long-term. This is especially important if you are going to use any form of lighting.
5) Don’t Forget the Setting
Where is the sign going to be put up?
The setting is going to matter because what you would do on the farm is different from what you would do in a metropolitan city with thousands of people walking by.
Each detail is going to matter and you have to think about this well in advance. You should also think about how the sign is going to stand out when there are other signs all over the place. Always concentrate on the setting when choosing your font and/or visuals.
6) Simplicity Wins
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by options for your sign. This means you start looking at incorporating different types of graphics and that’s a serious mistake. Remember, the average customer is simply going to take a glance at the sign, read, and make a decision. It’s as simple as that.
They are not going to focus on the finer details of your logo nor does it matter. Your goal is to make a good first impression and that involves simplicity. When this happens, people are going to relate to your sign more and will want to take a deeper look into what you are selling.
Final Thoughts
These are the tips that will make it easy to create a picture-perfect sign for your business.
Each scenario is going to be unique, which means you need to think about the short and long-term. The goal is to focus on your branding and ensure the sign doesn’t ignore that aspect of your business.
For example, a law firm isn’t going to create a bright pink sign made with gimmicky fonts. No one will trust the law firm and is going to assume they aren’t serious about what they’re doing. Your first impression always starts with these details and how the sign comes together.
