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7 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Logo Design

Your logo is an essential part of your business identity. Properly designed, it provides an instant – and memorable – point of recognition for who you are and what you do. Having been around the track a few times, we have first-hand experience with both the difficulties and the opportunities inherent in any logo design or redesign project. We’d like to share with you some of what we have learned. Whether you are developing a new logo from scratch or updating one that has outlived its effectiveness, there are at least six things to bear in mind: 1. Before you consider any logo design, be sure you understand your prospective customer or clients as deeply as you can. An effective

One of our most demanding projects in recent memory has been taking part in the rebranding of a chain of medical centers that crossed not only state but national borders! It began in March of 2014 when one of our long-time customers, Winbrook Associates, asked us for help. Their customer, Lake Region Medical, had purchased all 18 locations of a company called Accellent, and now the facilities had to be re-branded. We began with a design review and offered some initial signage concepts. But to support the rebranding while the design and build process took place, we installed temporary banners at every location: Just the name “Lake Region Medical” in black text on white material. Our crews surveyed the local

It’s not easy staying current in the fast-paced world of business signage. That’s why the team at Metro Sign and Awning likes to take time when possible to visit with colleagues and take advantage of trade shows with educational opportunities like the upcoming Digital Signage Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 10-13, 2015. We like to keep abreast of current and future trends in our industry, including advanced display technologies, best practices, and new thoughts on how to meet the needs of our retail customers. This particular show offers the 4,000 or more signage industry professionals who attend plenty of collaborative peer-to-peer “Idea Exchanges,” bolstered by lectures and panel presentations, seminars, and roundtable-format discussions. The schedule this year

One of the most frequently asked questions from prospects and clients alike is fairly basic: “What information do you need in order to work up a reliable price quote on my next project?” Casting about for new blog topics, it occurred to us that answering that question in this open forum would make for a valuable blog post. It would not only educate avid readers about how to speed and simplify the process of obtaining a meaningful price quote, but it would also serve as reference material to which we could point newly interested people who need to know this answer. So let’s start at the very beginning: Step 1: You realize you want some kind of signage. Step 2:

Metro Sign and Awning’s designers are expert at managing the many nuances that help create extra value and excitement in your signage. Here’s an example…

Our Sign At Everett High School Earns Mention on WCVB-TV News

It’s always exciting when one of our projects “makes the news.” This happened most recently on Thursday, January 9th, 2015, at 6 AM and again at Noon, when our recently installed electronic monument sign at Everett High School was featured as part of a story aired by WCVB (Channel 5, Boston) on the cold snap that enveloped Boston last week. The mention is particularly gratifying since WCVB-TV Channel 5 won seven National Headliner Awards last year, including two first-place finishes, in more categories than any other local television broadcaster in the country. Presented by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the annual National Headliner Awards recognize journalistic merit within the communications industry. Channel 5 was the only New England television

Another Way To Improve Signage ROI – Add Quality and Features!

Any business is inherently interested in knowing the return on investment (ROI) for the important actions it’s considering, because doing those calculations not only makes it easier to choose among different strategies, but also helps identify which of several possible actions should be prioritized and which ones are better delayed. With signage, you can do two varieties of ROI calculations: ROI in comparison with other advertising expenditures Pure financial ROI in comparison with any type of expenditures If you haven’t already, by the way, you can check out your signage ROI with our unique Business Sign R.O.I. Calculator. Either way, you’ll find that the cost of signage is relatively small compared to all the other expenditures you are making to

News From the World of Signage Vintage Neon Signs Convey An ‘Old-Time’ Feel From the early 1920s to the late 1960s, neon signs were – if not “the bee’s knees” – at least a high-tech expression of the signage industry’s latest and greatest. In the intervening years, new technologies (up to and including color LEDs) have made neon signs look dated, which is enough not only for designers to start re-using that technology to evoke an “old style” look, but for collectors to move in and devote themselves to acquiring, preserving, and displaying the neon arts. One such effort is a current exhibition at the Castle in downtown Appleton, WI. The exhibition, aptly titled: “Neon: Darkness Electrified,” opened last month

2014 was an exciting year for Metro Sign and Awning. Some of our very cool projects included Beverly and Salem Depots, Waterside Place, and The Crossings. Beverly Depot and Salem Depot are two exciting and innovative projects we worked on for the MBTA, with our participation being arranged through Suffolk and Consigli Construction. We installed a new “T” logo there and adding the all-important way-finding signs. Waterside Place was a Design/Build Project we did for The Drew Companies. As you may remember, it is a big part of the development of both luxury and affordable housing now moving forward in Boston and some of our surrounding suburbs. We were involved from the earliest stages, building both customer-facing and back-of-the-house interior

Adams Plaza, Quincy, MA Kimco Realty views Black Friday as an opportunity to refresh the aging pylon sign at Adams Plaza in Quincy, to improve visibility for their tenants, as well as to draw in extra curiosity and traffic! Here, on the right, is the “before” photo. Compare it to the new and improved “after” version, shown here on the left. A more modern look, more substantial-looking pylons, and improved interior elements give the Adams Plaza pylon sign — and the tenants it advertises — a whole new lease on life. Project completed on time, to specifications, on budget. Thanks for the opportunity to serve. Hadley Corner, Hadley, MA Tenants are now moving in at Hadley Corner! Metro