Progressive educators recognize that the learning process should not be limited to the classroom and the exchange between teachers and students. In fact, according to a 2013 Gallup State of America’s Schools Report, only 55% of K-12 students are engaged in the traditional learning process.

Introducing experiential graphics into built environments turns the building itself into an educator. Consider a simple example of  labeling a drinking fountain in multiple languages with engaging typography. Not only does this teach one how to say drinking fountain in other languages, it teaches a more subtle value of inclusiveness.

The value of ambient learning is not limited to the education industry. The truth is, every organization is in the business of educating. Businesses educate their employees and customers on their history, their processes, their products. Non-profit organizations educate their volunteers, donors and those they serve. Religious institutions educate their people as well. In fact, historically, churches have done a magnificent job through stained glass and art. Consider that Leonardo DaVinci’s famous “Last Supper” painting was commissioned for the Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what pictures would make a difference in your building?  Schedule an appointment to explore what ambient learning could do for you.

See just a few of the examples of ambient learning we developed for Delta College below.

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Your building and office space is your chance to influence how people feel in your space and what they think about you and your company. Your name probably already exists on the outside of your building – and it should, to identify you. Do you really want to repeat the same thing inside your front doors? No. Let’s be honest, your guests already know your company name and so do your employees.

Your building should tell your story and your reception area is the first chapter.

Seize the opportunity to say something people don’t know about you, and don’t feel you must use words.  If your clients come in anxious or fearful, give them peace.  If it’s your staff that makes your company so special, show it. If you’re a non profit organization, show a picture that represents your mission. Please, just show or say something other than your company name.

Your goal is to create a conversation starter. No one is going to ask you about your name.

The picture above is a reception area we designed for an engineering firm. Not what you’d expect, right? Well neither is their innovative approach to what they do. We had the wall hand painted by a street artist. It’s a conversation starter with their guests…”Wow, tell me about that!”

Need help with this? Let’s talk.

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Our clients often call on us to help them re-imagine the exterior of their buildings. It could be a dentist that acquired an older practice. It could be a retailer or restaurant that is moving into a spot previously held by a similar business. It could be a manufacturer that wants to increase name and brand recognition. The reasons are nearly endless, but the goal is generally the same: to make people notice and express the brand.

While signage is part of the solution, something more is often needed. While the “more” could involve more expensive architectural changes or cladding, “more” can often be accomplished at a much lower cost with a well-designed exterior paint job. Usually, the client had budgeted to repaint the building anyway.

This is something we practice as we preach!  The above picture is of our new studio.  The incremental cost to paint the 3-color design shown was just 10% more than if we had painted it a single gray color!

Successful design doesn’t have to be expensive.  Schedule an appointment to re-imagine the exterior of your building or explore the Power of Paint.

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…and as you know, people often judge a book by its cover.

This is because we expect the imagery on the outside to give us a glimpse of what we will experience on the inside. The same is true of businesses. People judge what they might find inside by what they see on the exterior.

The Façade Sign: A Brand Expression

Business owners often come to Ideation thinking they need an exterior sign so people can find them. Of course, they do, that’s part of it, but it’s just a part.

The façade is more than a place to put the logo that’s on your business card. Done right, it’s a brand expression that’s comprised of building architecture, materials, landscaping, messaging, lighting, and, of course, signage. All these elements work together to deliver an intentional impression.

If a retailer has three locations, each with a distinct building architecture, then they should expect exterior signage designed specifically for each building.  While more narrowly focused designers might decry brand inconsistency, we believe this presents an opportunity for a brand to be more interesting, respected and relevant. Their customers are going to be moved by the architecture, the colors, the landscaping, the windows, the lighting, and the language.

What Goes into Well-Designed Exterior Signage?

At Ideation, our design process for façade signs revolves around several key elements. These include traditional factors such as:

• Viewing Distance
• Angles
• Local Sign Ordinances
• Brand Identity
• Budget

However, it should also include less traditional factors such as company culture, surrounding visual noise, and landscape design.

Fido: An Oasis in a Visual Storm

Fido, a dog training studio on Ferndale, opened in existing building with little architectural distinction. Their stretch of Michigan’s busy and iconic Woodward Avenue was rife with visual noise. We needed a way to make them stand out in the crowd of businesses.

Our goal was to make travelers do a double take and for dog owners to smile when they drove by.

The surrounding landscape gave people passing by a bad case of visual overload. So, rather than compete with the noise, we decided to present a simple design to give the senses a rest. People’s eyes were naturally drawn to this oasis in the storm.

We accomplished this goal by painting the façade in a single dark color and presenting the name in a contrasting color. We displayed the name Fido in a simple typeface fabricated with 3” deep steel letters, and a hand-painted mural of the icon we designed.

Rarely is just putting an established logo on the front of a building the best solution. In this case, we separated the letters from the dog icon. This allowed us to maximize the size of the letters for visibility while turning the dog image into a separate eye-popping element.

In this instance, the building front had a peculiarity in the shape, with an angled wall adjacent to the door.

“The very abstract image of the dog was designed to reflect the essential elements of all dogs without being breed specific. I wanted to speak to lovers of all dog breeds.” Michelle Lannoo, Lead Designer

Birmingham Chocolate: a Magical Experience

The objective was to bring a bring out the sense of wonder and magic of this boutique chocolatier in downtown Birmingham, Michigan.

As we considered the design of the store sign, we realized that the existing architecture style contributed to the brand and desired experience. Accordingly, our retail signage played more of an embellishing role.

“While words like artisan and handmade chocolates are true to this product, they’ve become overused words and less meaningful when defining a brand. Instead, we focused on the more magical words of Curiosity, Imagination, Discovery – words shared by head chocolatier and owner, Doug Hale as he was describing his business and approach.” Michelle Lannoo, Lead Designer.

We decided to paint the rectangular-brick inset area behind the façade letters both for aesthetic reasons as well as to maximize the visual impact of the sign. While the previous signs at this location filled that spot in with a traditional aluminum or plastic sign material with affixed letters, this just introduced another unnecessary element to the façade. We felt that in this case, less would be more. The original brick was the original building design and a much more beautiful element. Plus, the city did not consider the painted brick as part of the sign. This allowed us to increase the size of the letters to the maximum square footage allowed.

Motormouth Pediatric Dentistry: Attracting New Patients and Staff

The objective was to brand the exterior of a new pediatric dental practice so that it attracted new patients as well as staff.

The building was an extensive remodel with a brand new exterior designed by a local architect. With the Motormouth name and theme already in place, Ideation developed a logo and designed a façade sign and other signage to complement the new building exterior. In the first year, the building’s exterior has in fact been a top contributor to both new patients as well as staff.

The yellow returns (or sides) to the letters have unified the sign with the architecture. We accomplished this by bringing in the same yellow color used for the striping on the building. The custom-designed toothbrush and Checkered flag graphic with the message, “Building Big Smiles in the Motor City” applied to the front windows. This provided another element to attract attention while helping to position the business and bring definition to the Motormouth name.

Ideation Orange turns building exteriors and facades into brand expressions. If you would like more information on how your exterior signage can help you achieve your goals, contact Ideation Orange in Hazel Park, Michigan.

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Outdoor Signs to Maximize Impact

In it’s simplest function, outdoor signs tell people where you are.  What’s the best form of outdoor sign?  Well that depends on sight lines, viewing distances, surrounding visual noise, and city sign ordinances.

Cacao Tree, a local cafe, was presented with a problem. Because of the way their building was situated, only a small amount of their storefront faced the street. This made it difficult for people to find them. They came to us for business signage ideas and one solution we recommended was the projecting blade sign. By placing the blade signs at the corner of the buildings, we were able to draw the eyes of hungry pedestrians. To further distinguish them from the surrounding buildings, we used façade lettering and window graphics.

Reception Signs

First impressions mean a lot. A reception sign sets the tone for your client’s visit and can influence their perception of your services.

The team at DeClaire LaMacchia Orthopaedic Institute was looking for custom signage to bring their brand to their space while respecting the interior design. Working with their branding agency, we integrated their logo as a reception sign using a variety of metal finishes that complemented their interior design while creating a stunning first impression.

Wayfinding Signs

Large public buildings, like hospitals, apartment buildings, and hotels need wayfinding signs to direct people to their destinations. If your company moves large groups of people around your facility, then you need to make sure that the appropriate signage is in place. Many of those signs have ADA compliance requirements.

Outfield Lofts, in Lansing MI, needed both a wayfinding sign system and ADA compliant signs for their loft-style apartment building. The solution we delivered also contributed to their overall design rather than just meeting the functional requirements.

“Beyond the traditional value of making sure people know where to go when visiting and being an ADA compliant solution, our design added value to the environment by serving as an artistic element. Our goal was that the custom signage and environment would make residents proud to live there and visitors want to live there.” Jon Moses, Ideation

Digital Displays and Other Specialty Signs

There are times when businesses are faced with unique situations that can be fixed with business signs. For instance, Logicalis used a large amount of glass for interior walls. They did not want to block the open feel of their space, but they did desire a bit of privacy for their meeting rooms. Special graphics helped break up the large glass walls without blocking the light. They also preserved the feeling of openness.

In addition, they had a need for signage that told the story of their business. Integrating interactive digital displays, Ideation was able to bring their story to their space using a combination of static and dynamic digital content.  Since Logicalis is a technology company, the use of the digital displays was a perfect fit.

More Business Signage Ideas

The business signs we showcased here are only a few of our designs. Each business is unique and so is your story. We like to create signage that tells that story in a unique way. Let’s collaborate and put together a portfolio of business signage ideas tailored specifically for your company. Call today for more information.

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According to Ideation’s Jon Moses, “the interior design had a rustic modern feel with reclaimed wood used throughout the space. We wanted the wayfinding and room identification signage to be an extension of the overall design rather than just a functional necessity. Our goal was for the custom signage to help brand the space.”

Room identification signs produced from reclaimed wood with direct-to-surface printed graphics and applied raised lettering and Grade 2 braille.

“Rather than fake the wood look with traditional sign laminates, our team wanted to use the same imperfect, reclaimed wood used for common area wall surfaces. After several prototypes, everyone was very pleased with the results!” Jon Moses, Ideation.

A second complementary style sign was designed and produced from frosted black acrylic for walls with wood background and for utility signs to help balance the overall sign program cost.

Nine foot tall floor numbers were hand painted to walls outside the elevator doors.

A view of the outfield lofts from behind home plate.

3’ tall steel numbers were fabricated to recognize the distance from home plate to the exterior of the lofts.

The exterior main entrance was branded with freestanding ½” thick aluminum letters above the canopy.

“Beyond the traditional value of making sure people know where to go when visiting and being an ADA compliant solution, our design added value to the environment by serving as an artistic element. Our goal was that the custom signage and environment would make residents proud to live there and visitors want to live there.” Jon Moses, Ideation Orange.

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The original logo existed solely in a circular shape. Per Creative Director, Jon Moses, “working together with Krieger Klatt Architecture, we recognized that the logo as a primary façade sign was restricting what could be done with the architecture and also had readability issues when sized to meet city sign allowances.  With future restaurants to be opened in both newly constructed standalone buildings and pre-existing buildings and storefronts, a much more expansive identity package was needed to appropriately brand the wide variety of spaces.”

There were also goals of bringing out more of the brand’s personality and introducing a symbol that could be used to support product branding including craft beers and sodas. This was accomplished in an updated logo design incorporating a train, a symbol that has been part of the company’s story and interior design from the very beginning.

Ideation designer, Michael Garavaglia worked collaboratively with Krieger Klatt Architects, developing and testing concepts of logos and signage in the context of their new standalone restaurant prototype as well as pre-existing buildings.  

The final brand identity and comprehensive set of over 40 sign designs were packaged in a Brand & Sign Manual that is used to guide appropriate signage usage for new locations.

Photos ©2015 Gene Meadows

The post Bagger Dave’s: Designing Logos with Signage in Mind appeared first on Ideation.

Our friends at Cacao Tree Café called us to help tell their story on the exterior of their café. They serve up gourmet raw foods that cleanse, detox and rejuvenate. They make you beautiful from the inside out. Our objective became to make them beautiful from the “outside in.” 

before

after

Cacao Tree Café occupies a wedge-shaped storefront in a walkable downtown setting. With just a sliver of its primary façade facing the street, it was easy to miss. A combination of projecting blade signs, façade lettering and window graphics was developed to maximize impact within the city’s sign ordinance and the client’s budget. In the process, ideation refined Cacao Tree Café’s logo, color palette and typography.

Large windows on the West elevation were used to capture the eyes of both vehicles and pedestrians heading East on busy Fourth Street. Fresh green and warm gold colors were used to stand out against the glass, a solution that delivers big impact at a low cost.

Simple, projecting blade signs were used at the corners of the building to catch the eyes of hungry pedestrians. 

The ideation team incorporated a traditional Mayan illustration as a large window display graphic, accenting the client’s love of the Cacao Tree and it’s Central American roots. 

Next time you’re in Royal Oak, stop in and rejuvenate with raw hand-made chocolates, super-food smoothies and elixirs, organic soups, salads and sandwiches! You can also see how business signage defines a business.

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Pedestrian blade sign with scroll bracket.

Ideation provided color consultation on the façade, logo design and signage design, production and installation.

Custom metallic gold design hand-applied to window above door.

BEFORE – Original storefront façade                           AFTER

According to Ideation Creative Director, Jon Moses, “It’s so important with a premise-based business like this, to design the logo as we design customer signs and the  storefront (in addition to packaging and other applications.)  Too often, businesses in start-up mode will create a logo first, independent of any signage consideration.  Later, when they go to make a sign, it’s just not optimal in that context. In this case, the logo was informed by an overall color palette for the façade, where it would go on the building, the size as allowed by the city, and sight lines for vehicles and pedestrians.”

The logo was inspired by the Cornwall flag, the country Freeman traces his lineage to. He wanted the brand to represent his family and his life-long dream of one day opening his own bakery.

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Ideation designed and installed 63 street pole banners with four unique designs. These pole banners drew the eye of visitors with their vibrant color and unique look.

Another banner was hung at this repurposed entrance to underground parking garage.

Ideation Orange has designed several projects for the Detroit Institute of Art. Not only have we created stunning graphics and custom signage for TIA, our graphic designers incorporated artistic elements into their new donor wall.

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