Architecture & Engineering

The architecture industry combines visual art, industrial design and engineering. Every house or building you design as an architect becomes a reflection of your firm. Like signage for engineers, signage for architects is more design-oriented than signage for the typical company and is seen as a reflection on your design ability. Your signage has to live up to the same visual standards as your buildings and reflect your ability to construct visually appealing structures.

Because of this relationship between architecture and signage, the signs your architectural firm uses play a central role in showing potential clients that your firm can be trusted to produce an attractive product. Carefully crafted architectural signage design will impress future clients and open the door for you to wow them with your portfolio.

With effective signage, such as the kinds listed below, you’ll also be able to advise your clients with advice for their signage options. Your signage will act as evidence of your firm’s expertise with the medium. To help you begin adding signage to your architectural firm or upgrading your existing signage, explore the following architectural signage options.

Outdoor Signage

If you have a large office space and can advertise outside your building, you might consider the following types of signs as you develop your signage strategy:

• Custom banners: One popular form of signage that is guaranteed to catch people’s attention as they walk by is custom banners. With custom banners, you can hang a custom message across the front of your office building, directing customers to the entrance, or you can place smaller banners off of the side of lamp posts leading up to your building to brand the walkway.
• Large format corporate signage: This kind of signage is especially eye-catching, as it supports large graphics and is sure to make an impression on anyone who sees it. Large format corporate signage can be mounted to the side of a wall or placed on a chloroplast H-frame. These signs are generally placed near a roadway so that they can get the attention of passing motorists and pedestrians.
• Dimensional signage: If you want your firm to really stand out, then three-dimensional signage should be your go-to choice. A dimensional sign is a type of sign that projects out of a wall or other surface. These signs look like they pop out of the wall. You could use dimensional signage to, for example, place your company logo and company name behind a receptionist’s desk to brand the space and let clients know they’re in the right office.

Indoor Signage

The interior of an architectural office is crucial to making a good impression on a customer. Whether you’re employing visually appealing signage to brand your space or trying to provide functional value to your visitors, you’ll want to choose signs that match your firm’s overall aesthetic. Some of the most popular options are listed below:

1. Custom Wall Murals

A custom wall mural is a top choice for those looking to brand their office space. A wall mural is the type of signage that tells a story and draws the attention of anyone visiting your office almost immediately. An attractive mural can demonstrate both your company’s professionalism and personality.

Despite their attention-getting nature, wall murals avoid appearing overly sales-oriented. Instead, they are perfect for improving brand recall and showing off a company’s design ability. Even with a simple mural that only contains a logo and company name, a company can brand their space and give viewers a positive impression of the company. In addition to their visual appeal, indoor wall murals maintain their visual appearance over the years, without becoming damaged, making them an extremely durable advertising option.

2. Architectural and Glass Finishes

One way to impress clients is to have custom designs etched into the glass around your office. These architectural glass signs are multifunctional, providing clean, simple imagery along with natural lighting and privacy when frosted glass is used. For example, glass films display attractive adhesive patterns on glass surfaces. For a company that wants to impress clients, the ability to add texture, attractive patterns and unique color schemes makes glass signage an appealing option. The versatility of this type of signage enables the firm to showcase their creativity.

Along with glass films, a firm can use frosted or tinted glass to provide privacy between offices or cubicles. Instead of blocking the line of sight altogether, these types of glass will usually obscure the view of whatever is happening on the other side without totally removing it. The natural lighting will also make the workplace more attractive to employees.

3. Directional Signage

Along with making your workspace more visually appealing, signage can also provide functional value to clients, improving their experience while they visit your firm. Directional signage is crucial to delivering a positive experience for anyone visiting your office, as it’s designed to help people find their way around. With this signage in place, you’ll be able to give directions, provide information and name rooms.

You can also craft directional signage so that it’s branded appropriately and visually appealing to anyone who sees it. If you have directional signage, the moment that a potential client parks, they’ll know exactly where to go to find your office. Because of this, they’ll have a more pleasant and convenient experience.

4. ADA Signage

Part of a good design is making sure that it meets all local, state and federal regulations. The Americans with Disabilities Act prevents companies from discriminating against individuals on the basis of disability, and not having signage can be seen as a form of discrimination. One way to subtly show clients that you are knowledgeable of different building codes is to have ADA signage placed appropriately throughout your office space.

Identification, informational, directional and overhead signs are all types of ADA-approved signage that companies must use to be compliant with regulations. You’ll often see signage near restrooms, above exits and entryways and by accessible parking areas, for example. As an architectural firm, you’ll be able to show your clients that you are knowledgeable about the most recent ADA signage information and can tell them about the types of signage that they’ll need in their own building.

Interested in Custom Architectural Signage for Your Firm?

When designed correctly, custom architectural signage can reflect the aesthetic approach of an architectural firm and tell clients immediately if you’re the right fit for them. As signage can have such a big impact on the way clients view your brand, you’ll want to work with a studio that has a track record of success in printing graphics and delivering high-quality architectural signage

SpeedPro has a nationwide network of more than 120 studios specializing in large format graphics, making us the go-to option for countless companies around the country. Find your local studio today to get in contact with one of our representatives. They’ll be able to give you a quote and discuss ways that SpeedPro can help you achieve your goals.