Retail, Healthcare, Hospitality, Office, Education Fitouts, whichever it might be, there’s no doubt that signs are a necessary and decorative part of our commercial environment.
We regularly aren’t aware of them till we need them, then we rely on them to get us to places or to announce a brand, a price, a new event or sometimes a bargain.
When you’re involved in a commercial fitout or refurbishment, always consider signage as part of the bucket list either with a need to start afresh or renew what is existing.
Here’s 5 vital tips:
1. Group your signage into different categories to separate their functions.
In this way, you’ll be able to see more easily what is required and how you can carry your branding through all parts of the fitout:
Main Exterior & Interior Signage:
Larger signs showing your brand, business name. This type of signage, without doubt, must reflect your brand and your business stance.
Secondary Signage:
Mostly interior signage showing product names or zones within the fitout eg: “Organic Produce”, “Keep Fit Gear”.
Decorative Graphics:
Decorative elements may still announce your brand, but provide beauty or inspiration in your fitout. This may be a feature wall in your café or medical waiting room that shows your brand but is chiefly decorative.
Wayfinding:
Important directional signage showing directions to a car park, bathroom, booking bay, public/private access areas etc. There are many quality pre-made wayfinding signs on the market today, but creating your own directional signs which reflect your brand is a clever option.
2. Engage a good graphic designer & sign company to help you with the entire signage package.
Remember, your signage should be “a well-coordinated and consistent package” which ties your brand, your look together.
Don’t be led into either cheap and nasty pre-printed signs or writing signs yourself. That’s bad news for your business!
3. Choose products that are durable and work long term not just “of the moment”.
Like other aspects of your new commercial fitout, quality materials will last the distance. Signs need to do that too.
Your fitout builder will coordinate with a good signage firm to ensure that they are professionally fixed in the correct way to a compatible surface. The firm should advise and lead you towards using durable materials which will meet the right standards.
4. Refresh and Renew:
Get rid of old signs if they are not giving your clients or customers the right message or are not part of your new brand.
Don’t mix your old and new brand looks. That’s a big no-no! And update anything that looks tired too.
5. Organise your signage well. Don’t overload your customers with too much.
There can be too many signs showing “menu specials”, too many directions, too many discount signs.
Visual overload is bad. Customers won’t read most of them anyway.
It’s a chance to be creative and inspirational in putting the finishing touches to a commercial fitout.
Let your signage do the talking!
