ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Sign Design

Signs and the Downtown Experience

Signs and the Downtown Experience Throughout cities and downtowns, signs play a vital role in how residents and visitors interact with the space around them. Whether it’s a directional wayfinding sign, a storefront, or a sign identifying a building, signs contribute greatly to the downtown experience, playing an important role in the brand identity of cities, retailers, and institutions. Because of this the quality of signage has greatly improved over the last decade including design innovations (many intended to improve pedestrian safety). quality materials, and architectural integrations into buildings and landscapes. At Metro Sign and Awning, we design signage to create a unified, practical, and aesthetically pleasing downtown experience. Keep reading to learn more about how signs create a community

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has many requirements for bringing current signs into compliance or when you create new ones. How can you bring your brand to ADA signage when creating new signs or bringing your current ones into compliance? While ADA signage requirements are first and foremost intended to improve safety and accessibility for customers and building visitors, many companies are pleasantly surprised at how the required signage can also support branding. We’ve helped large and small companies get a better understanding of ADA signage and to see how they can incorporate it into their interior design and include branding elements. What is ADA Signage? ADA signage is designed in accordance to the regulations of the Americans with

When signage goes above and beyond its basic “job description” and becomes an architectural element, we refer to it as functional signage, or more informally, specialty signage. Awnings, vestibules and enclosures are obvious examples, but they have some surprising benefits. For example, they can help manage heating and cooling demands, among other things. And while most developers understand how branding can be incorporated into exterior facades, when it comes to interior design we often find our team working alongside architects to bring their vision to reality by identifying specialty materials or new fabrication techniques in order to fit the sign and design into difficult spaces. Retractable screens, unique seating areas and decorative or branded panels are some other projects we’ve worked

Earlier this year, a report by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America showed that outdoor advertising not only remains tops in terms of cost-effectiveness, it continues to be one of the strongest drivers of online searches. How Outdoor Advertising Fuels Online Searches According to the report, outdoor advertising was as successful in spurring Facebook activity as were TV ads, and results were similar for driving traffic to Twitter and Instagram. If it sounds surprising at first, when considering your routine behavior it’s easy to understand the findings. While commuters are strongly encouraged to ignore their phones while on the road, thanks to mobile devices, we’re accustomed to tuning in to an increasing amount of visual stimuli all the time, even while

Whether you’re in the early planning or construction stage of a new residential or mixed-use development or starting to think about a new sign (or signs for a new location) for a local business, at some point, you have to request a quote for that signage. In order to take your sign ideas from early brainstorming sessions into installed signage reality, there’s a process called “budgetary reality.” It’s probably safe to say that requesting a quote – and getting estimates on signage projects – is nobody’s favorite part of the job. At Metro Sign & Awning, we understand that – and we also know getting your signage quote right is a very important part of our job. How to

Can you see me now? Verizon Wireless, and many of its authorized dealers, depend on Metro Sign & Awning to see that their signage represents the company well on many sites. For some time now, Metro Sign & Awning has been an Authorized sign manufacturer for Verizon Wireless. And while the company has a comprehensive, 200-plus-page book of branding standards, there’s a surprisingly large “gray area” and much needed flexibility built into the process of design review. Accurate Information is Key to Best Signage Design, Installation Because every business location is unique, regardless of how many branding guidelines there are, there must be some room for interpretation. When a Verizon authorized dealer contacts us about updating or installing new signage,

When the owner of One-Stop Country Pet Supply planned to move to one of Keene, NH’s biggest retail centers, she knew she needed a big, bold sign to help her reach more shoppers. Patrick Grizzard, Sales Manager at Metro’s Keene location, was delighted to help her bring her vision to life. Big Sign, Big Impression “The overall height of this one came in at just under 8 feet, and the overall width came in at 25 feet,” Grizzard said. “And the custom shapes that we made for this sign really gives it that extra something.” Owner owner Saskia Whallon had a clear idea of what she wanted the sign to look like – and Grizzard and the Metro design and fabrication team enjoyed

When it comes to business signage, size matters. While it’s not always accurate to say, “the bigger the better,” well, sometimes, it is. When your building project needs bold thinking, big ideas, and even bigger signs, you need to work with a professional signage company that has the training and experience to ensure your best signage visions become reality. Large and Oversized Exterior Signs = More Attention for Your Brand When you’ve got the permits and the plan to “go big,” we say, GO BIG! Experienced sign designers can take a concept from inception to installation-ready, making sure your brand gets the attention it deserves. Below, we shine the spotlight on some of the larger signs that we’ve designed and installed in

Language can be tricky sometimes. 20 funny grammar mistakes on signs in America – no, this is not our porfolio 🙂

Making Signs Stand Out, Blend in with Beautiful Campgrounds

From Concept to Design to Fabrication – GSEM Signage Enhances Organization’s Brand Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEM) came to Metro Sign & Awning with a challenge. GSEM’s five camps, with locations in Andover, Brewster, Plymouth, Waltham, and Pelham, NH, needed signage that would be highly visible, beautiful, and durable. The signs needed to reflect the organization’s mission as well as its brand, stand out night and day, and complement the camps’ beautiful natural settings. As a non-profit organization, the budget was non-negotiable. And then there was the timeframe: concepts for exterior signage that needed to be designed and fabricated into reality – and installed – before the upcoming camp season and a popular annual event. Challenge accepted. Sign Concept