Signage plays a pretty important role in Museums. Bright bold colors, interesting graphics, and eye-catching fonts help command visitor attention. But museums offer additional challenges with architectural signage, which must align with their high aesthetics and design standards. Strong, effective signs should reinforce the buildings’ styles and standards, too, while also conveying easily-read messages. Since cultural attractions like museums, science centers, and aquariums exist to entertain and inform, every part of their planning—including signage—factors in how they can enhance visitor experiences. Details Make the Design While function remains the first goal of creating museum signage, exceptional designers think about the “fun” in function, too. Signage that reflects an exhibit’s theme brings the museum brand personality to life. Whether it’s a
How retail brands like Lenovo and Soletrader are doing digital signage screens throughout stores, in-store promotions, pop-up events and virtual showrooms.
Now that it’s behind us, we can look back on 2020 and say, with no irony, that it was certainly a different kind of year. The COVID-19 pandemic brought much of the country to a screeching halt for a time, and many companies had to pause, reset, and rethink their processes. Like many businesses, the pandemic affected our work, too. But clients still needed signs. Companies continued to rebrand. And through it all, we continued to reach out, build relationships with new clients, and create and install signage that we — and our customers — take great pride in. Here are a few of our favorite projects. Cadence Design Systems of Burlington We collaborated with Haynes Group to design several
Whenever a client requests a sign that’s a little different from the norm, the Metro Sign team gets excited. We love a good challenge! Workers Credit Union, in Littleton, MA, needed interior and exterior signs for its new headquarters and office. We partnered with general contractor Nauset Construction Corporation to create the signage package, which included a unique canopy sign. The first challenge: The canopy sign had to sit on top of a custom steel and glass canopy, which certainly limited how we could safely attach it. The second challenge: It had to look great not just from the front, but from the back, too, because it was clearly visible from a second floor conference room whose windows overlooked the
Lights! Camera! Action! In 2019, the family-owned and operated Majestic Cinemas began a major build-out at the Arsenal Yards shopping center. It included an exciting signage package to draw the attention of prospective visitors to the new movie theater. The signs complement this eclectic collection of retail, restaurant, and entertainment spaces in Watertown, MA’s historic Arsenal Yards. Metro incorporated color-changing LEDs into the canopy and blade signs. This approach allows the theater to adjust the colors to highlight seasons, events, holidays, and featured new releases. Edits on the Cutting Room Floor The space that houses the theater was once an old tank armory and factory. Boylston Properties and The Wilder Companies collaborated to convert this old brick building into an upscale
Video displays can make financial institutions more attractive and approachable.
When you’re faced with a mammoth project that spans three years and involves many stakeholders, collaboration and communication are critical keys to a successful outcome. Equally as complex as the UMass Boston signage project, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Kendall Square project has required a massive amount of coordination among the stakeholders. As a designer-builder, Metro Sign knows that when they’re involved early in the planning process, they can help to control the budget. Elena Berry, Director of Business Development at Metro says, “Developers don’t always think about bringing in fabricators — like signage manufacturers — during the early planning stages of a project. Metro has the experience to proactively identify potential issues earlier in the planning process. Then when it
The most effective outdoor signage does more than point out the entrance to your business’s parking lot. Well-designed outdoor signs communicate your company’s brand and image. Monument signs, like the one created for J. Borstell Realty, can also help to cement a business’s presence in the area. When Jeffrey and Kelsey Borstell assumed leadership of the family-owned and operated real estate company, they wanted to update the business image. Established in 1981, the Borstells were ready to evolve and rebrand the business to take it to the next level. They partnered with Metro Sign for the project. The Metro team’s designer, Jamie Potvin, collaborated with designer and brand strategist Jaime Chemaly, of FoxShop, to bring the new design to life.
Worcester’s Cultural Coalition Popup’s mission is simple: to support active creative engagement and foster a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The Jean McDonough Arts Center offers space for local and visiting artists, organizations, and creatives to produce art shows, open mics, classes, and much more. In 2019, philanthropist Jean McDonough donated $2 million to support the completion of the BrickBox Theater, one of the Worcester Cultural Coalition programs. To honor her gift, the Coalition teamed with a local graphic designer, Travis Duda of Hunchback Graphics, to create a new logo. Incorporating the colors of the “Worcester Cube,” the JMAC sign embraces bright neon and pop art aesthetics to welcome everyone who visits the permanent popup, part of a public-private
No one likes to get lost! And one of the best ways an institution can help people find their way or get important information quickly and clearly is to employ signage. In fact, signage offers a good tool for higher education settings. Freestanding signs with electronic message center displays (EMC) distribute daily and emergency information efficiently, and wayfinding signs help people navigate campus more easily. Interior signs can reinforce learning by supporting multimedia for lectures or enhance the interdepartmental recognition of student accomplishments by enabling departments to promote their students’ successes. And consistent signage supports both an institution’s branding and elevates its school spirit. Metro Sign has worked with a variety of colleges and universities right here in the heart
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