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Let's get started...why you need a plan for your signage

Posted by Gary Baron on Wed, Apr 10, 2013 @ 09:22 AM

How do most people lose weight? They don't will it to happen and hope for the best. Successful weight loss comes after you develop and stick to a plan of diet and exercise. 

Getting the most out of your signage budget is similar. You have to develop and stick to a facility signage plan that takes into account all the aspects of great signage and helps eliminate the problems you most often encounter with your signs. 

To get started writing a plan, it's helpful to understand why you need a plan in the first place and the key questions to answer. 

Why a Master Plan?
A master plan might sound a little sinister, like something a criminal mastermind would cook up in the lab. But if you think about it, the master plan is what  helps the criminal mastermind achieve his ultimate aims.

With a plan in place, everyone knows what to do, what to expect and they will be less likely to cause problems and delays. It also helps when someone steps outside of the guidelines. You can look back at the plan, revisit the guidelines and make corrections. 

Without a plan, you will experience some of the classic problems with maintaining consistent facility signage — new management looking for a "change," a vendor who doesn't stick to guidelines, or urgent situations trumping the guidelines. 

Building the Plan
You can begin to build your master facility signage plan by connecting with your marketing or advertising departments. These departments often build corporate brand guidelines that govern things like letterhead, business cards and even email signatures. These guidelines should govern your signs as well.

Then, you want to ask some key questions. 

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Topics: architectural signage, facility managers, wayfinding signs

How to get long-term brand consistency in your signage

Posted by Gary Baron on Tue, Apr 2, 2013 @ 09:24 AM

Your company brand is one of your most potent assets as a business. If you leverage your brand asset well and execute your core mission with excellence, you will find success. Your signage is the visual manifestation of your brand and so, you should execute it with excellence so that it represents your brand to the outside world. 

Executing your brand strategy with excellence requires long-term consistency. Everything your company does should fit into your brand guidelines, even your signage. This is easier said than done, however, as companies run into several roadblocks in their efforts to maintain long-term brand consistency. Maintaining cohesive signage, though, is key to getting the most out of your signage budget.

In this step, we'll explore the common problems companies encounter in sticking to their brand guidelines and how to overcome those hurdles. 

Common Signage Hurdles
When it comes to executing your brand in your signage, companies encounter many of the same problems with maintaining consistency: outside influencers, unavoidable situations, and a lack of fidelity to guidelines. 

You have many outside influencers who want to have a say in your signage. These include facility managers who want to have their stamp on a building, vendors who think they know best and employees who act independently. 

Unavoidable situations also crop up regularly. Signs get damaged from weather or vandalism. A new city or county ordinance might require specific signage immediately. When these situations arise, urgency too often trumps brand guidelines. All of a sudden, fidelity to your branding strategy goes out the window. 

Putting Your Brand First
Despite these common hurdles, you can achieve long-term brand consistency in your signage by recognizing these problems and creating plans to address them before they happen. 

Start by identifying three key details for your signage:
  • Brand color — Pick limited and specific colors your signs can include.
  • Brand logos — Identify what versions of your brand's logos will go on signs.
  • And measurements — Determine the specific size of an array of signage so replacement signs and new signs measure the same. 

After you have identified these key details, you need to communicate them to all the stakeholders — your sign vendor, employees and others like building managers. Knowledge is power after all and many lapses in brand guidelines occur because people weren't aware of the guidelines in the first place.

You should also keep the circle of people who can make final decisions on signage small. When fewer people have the authority to order new and replacement signs, the likelihood of errors will decrease.

Execute your brand with excellence and your brand will work for you. Cohesive signage will help you achieve long-term brand consistency, get the most out of your signage budget and leverage this most valuable corporate asset.
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Topics: property managment signs, branding, hospital signage, wayfinding signs, wayfinding signage systems

5 step guide: How to get the most out of your signage budget

Posted by Gary Baron on Fri, Mar 29, 2013 @ 10:35 AM

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Topics: lobby signs, branding, marketing, wayfinding systems, wayfinding signs

Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation: does your signage pass inspection?

Posted by Gary Baron on Fri, Aug 3, 2012 @ 01:32 PM

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care certifies ambulatory surgery centers in the United States. The AAAHC is always reviewing its standards and revising its standards, even adding new standards as they become required by the ever-changing health care field.

Whatever those standards are at any given time, your service center needs to meet them. Their surveyors include people from all walks of the health care field, including physicians, dentists, podiatrists, pharmacists, nurses and administrators. Based on how they decide, your institution is accredited for three years. However, if your center does not meet their standards, it will receive a deferral or denial of accreditation.

The AAAHC is all about meeting the highest-possible standards for patient care and safety. And so long as your organization meets the following criteria, it is ready for accreditation.

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Topics: wayfinding systems, wayfinding signs, wayfinding signage systems, ada compliant signs

Lost in a building, entrance to a property doesn't have signage?

Posted by Gary Baron on Sun, Jan 22, 2012 @ 09:15 AM

Most people would like to think that they are fairly punctual people. We always try to arrive places on time or even early, especially if it’s an interview or meeting that may require some preliminary setup or paper work. Sometimes we can’t always beat the traffic that may cause us to be a little tardy. So when something does keep us from living up to our customary punctuality it is always helpful if the destination has clear building signs, room signs, lobby signs, wayfinding systems.

From the entrance to a property to parking signs to building signs, including lobby signs and room signs all have to be clear and visible.

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Topics: lobby signs, directory signs, wayfinding systems, monument signs, wayfinding signs

Happy Holidays!!!

Posted by Gary Baron on Fri, Dec 23, 2011 @ 02:31 PM

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

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Topics: architectural signage, branding, wayfinding systems, indoor signs, wayfinding signs, Americans With Disabilities Act signage, HubSpot Tips

Signs Can Help You Find Your Way When Entering a Hospital

Posted by Gary Baron on Thu, Dec 22, 2011 @ 09:50 AM


Have you ever experienced this common scenario? You are visiting someone at the hospital. You know their room number but you are unfamiliar with the building because you've never been there. The outside of the building is properly marked and you have found the parking garage with little to no problems. Once out of the car, you can't see any directional signs anywhere. You think to yourself this may just be a problem in the garage.

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Topics: directory, lobby sign, wayfinding systems, indoor signs, wayfinding signs

My company logo usage...can it improve my visibility?

Posted by Gary Baron on Mon, Aug 8, 2011 @ 09:46 AM

I know there are numerous companies out there that are wondering if company logo usage can improve their visibility.

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Topics: dimensional sign, architectural signage, vehicle wraps, branding, outdoor signage, office signs, billboard on wheels, wayfinding signs

Can branding standards move your businesses' bottom line...

Posted by Gary Baron on Fri, Aug 5, 2011 @ 10:11 AM

I’m sure there are some business people who have come across the word branding standards in their business careers, and I’m equally sure there are even more out there who have no idea what it is.

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Topics: architectural signage, lobby signs, vehicle graphics, branding, outdoor signage, outdoor signs, carved signs, office signs, wayfinding signs

Can a sign improve your business’ bottom line in a positive way?

Posted by Gary Baron on Mon, Jul 25, 2011 @ 02:57 PM

Can a sign improve your business' bottom line? The answer is an unequivocal yes. Surveys indicate the average consumer views thousands of advertisements every day, many of them signs. And the reason there are so many billboards, banners, scrolling digital boards and standard signs is because they work.

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Topics: dimensional sign, architectural signage, lobby signs, vehicle graphics, branding, directory, indoor signs, wayfinding signs, signs, carved signs with gilding and digital graphics

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