Need signage, we can help.
While it may not be your top concern when you’re designing a new building or redesigning an existing one, signage has an important part to play in architectural planning. Both internal and external signage needs to fit seamlessly into the building to be at its most effective, while developing wayfinding signs with a professional sign company can have a huge impact on how people navigate and use a space.
If you’re an architect undertaking a new project, then working with The Sussex Sign Company to develop the highest quality signage solutions could greatly enhance your work. With more than two decades’ experience under our belts, we have all the knowledge and expertise you need to help you get the most from your new signs.
The benefits of wayfinding signage
Any architect worth their salt thinks long and hard about how large groups of people might use the internal space of a building, whether it’s a restaurant, office or retail outlet. Avoiding log-jams in smaller areas such as lobbies, foyers and corridors is essential, so steps must be taken to ensure that people are kept moving and circulating, so they don’t end up crowded.
Wayfinding signs have a very significant role to play in helping people navigate their way around a building. In public buildings such as hospitals, police stations and community centres, they can help direct people towards specific wards or departments, enabling them to get to their destinations by the fastest and most direct route and keeping a free flow of incoming visitors.
In shops, bars and restaurants, they can be used to guide people to specific product aisles or let them know where the checkouts, fire escapes, toilets or changing rooms might be found. Creating wayfinding systems which work and help people get from A to B makes a vast difference to how people feel about a building, avoiding frustration and ensuring the space is used as efficiently as possible.
External signs
Factoring signage into the design of a new building really should be high on the agenda if you’re working on a new architectural project. Most business owners will say that signage is a priority for them – it is, after all, a form of advertising and one of the most effective ways of promoting their business and catching the eyes of potential customers.
If, for example, you’re designing a new retail unit, then it makes sense to incorporate shop front signs into your earliest designs. There needs to be space for shop signs to be prominently displayed on the façade of a building, so this may need to be factored in when thinking about the positioning of doors and windows.
Schools and universities often need educational signs positioned somewhere highly visible too, so incorporating the school’s signage into the design of a new-build could play a big role in dictating the overall external appearance. Similarly, hospital signage tends to be large and may need to be displayed in multiple locations, depending on the site.
Internal signs
The signage inside a building is just as important as the signs over the door. When planning the internal space of a building, it’s critical to factor in where important signs might be positioned. Signage in lobbies and foyers often has to be fairly large, to make it easy for newly-arrived visitors to find out where they need to be and how to get there.
When planning things such as lighting, door and window positions and even wall socket positions, you probably need to factor in internal signage, as large expanses of wall may be needed to accommodate sign boards and wayfinding signage. A professional sign company will be able to advise on the best place for internal signage to be installed, which means opening up discussions early on in the design process could be key to getting the most from a building’s internal space.
Other factors
The types of signage you need will be largely dictated by the nature and purpose of the building you are working on. The size, shape and appearance of the signs required will often be influenced by the type of building they serve, which is why signage can never be an afterthought when it comes to building design.
Factoring signage into your initial plans is critical if you are to ensure there is enough space to accommodate them. Retrofitting signage and trying to cram it in at a later date simply won’t work, so it needs to be high on the agenda for any architect working out how best to design the appearance of a building’s façade or make use of a building’s internal space.
How can we help you?
The Sussex Sign Company has been working with architects across the London, Sussex and the South East regions for many years, and we’ve had a helping hand in a wide variety of new-build and redevelopment projects. Having created signage solutions for multiple retail complexes and public buildings, we understand precisely how signage can be used to enhance a building’s design.
With expertise in internal and external signage, illuminated signs and wayfinding sign systems, we can come on board at the very beginning of the design process and work with your architectural practice throughout your project, to ensure you get the very best signage solution, tailored to the building you are working on and suited to its purpose.
Our professional team of highly-skilled and exceptionally well-qualified designers and installers can work closely with you from day one, crafting the highest quality bespoke signage to give your project a real boost. For more information on the services we can provide to your architectural practice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.