We've covered getting the most out of your graphic designer when you have a project, and in that rundown of helpful tips mentioned having examples that convey the ideas you want to emulate. Where to find examples, though? If you're trying to craft a proper array of visuals for your business, like vehicle wraps and banner signs, it might be difficult discerning what is good, what is bad, and what you could reasonably draw inspiration from in forming your own designs. The way to go? Study the successes of great design teams to see how they tackled their projects and what methods they implemented. To get you started on your search we've assembled a few dynamite examples and how they achieved their goals.
The Metro Design Studio was tasked with a unique challenge in sprucing up the L.A. Metro's look. Specifically, Angelenos often eschew public transportation in favor of their automobiles. How then to were they to draw attention to the area's new rapid transit solution? They could have shot from the hip and created a generic design that was mostly derivative of other public transportation systems. Not ones to take the easy route, though, the Metro Design team scouted the area firsthand for ideas. After gathering careful research and an in-depth lay of the land, they were ready to get to work. The results?
They were able to spruce things up while keeping things accessible. The graphical standards of the system still had to be adhered to, after all. The team incorporated a distinct color pattern with stark contrasting text, compelling imagery, and a coupled marketing campaign to deliver the message that public transport had arrived in a big way. They plastered it over steel signs, vertical banners, street lamps and public benches to significant effect. It was an updated take on a bland and flailing original that genuinely kicked things up a notch.
This Orange County food service business needed a way to sell their wares, advertise their business, and claim their brand all in one. The designers at Design Womb were able to assist by creating this type-heavy vehicle wrap design that blended bold serif and sans-serif fonts, strong contrasting colors, and stylized graphics that helped hammer home the nature of their trade.
This attention to detail does wonders for a business image. It emphasizes a modern chic and gives them a contemporary appeal that drums up lots of business with younger crowds. It also goes to show you that every design doesn't have to be deadly serious to be effective. This vehicle wrap is both fun and professional, even incorporating some clever quips into the design!
When a new restaurant rolls into town, they need to make a big impression to get noticed, and that includes top-of-the-line business signs to cement their forward thinking look. Notice how the typeface accentuates the Southwestern flair of the establishment, and the color choices give the feel of an authentic desert setting. Even the interior signs have a retro look; that transports client to another era. How is it all accomplished? Through careful design, naturally. It's no accident that the look can evoke such feelings, it's all planned and executed through the use of color, typography, and other basic design principles.
ConclusionYour business signs will say a lot about you and the work you do, and in order to convey the right message, you should be able to communicate to your designer what it is that you want. This is where good examples come into play. We covered a few and saw how just small choices here and there could have a big impact on the final product. In our first example, modern font and color choices gave birth to a revitalized public transport initiative. The vehicle wrap we looked at was also modern, but more playful thanks to the color choices and decision to weave some mirthful copy into the design itself. Our last example played up the retro feel and was uniquely effective in achieving an excellent replication of an old-school design.
With any luck, the examples you saw here will aid you in tracking down others that you can pull from in creating your final look. With all that in place; you'll be ready to present your business sign company with some fully fleshed out ideas for them to work from in crafting your completed business signage.
