The Reality Of A Pandemic

Covid Connections...Or Lack Thereof

Well here I am writing a blog post of what would normally feature some exciting new sign product, cool 'before & after' project or some other fun topic about the joys of sign-hood. Instead, I will write about some of our universal responses to forced captivity and quarantine.

The variety of responses to this global pandemic run the gamut of emotionality. There is a huge amount of F-E-A-R! We're all reeling from a blind-side attack that has us on the ropes. We didn't know it was coming; we weren't prepared and we're scrambling to make sense of it. We can't turn on a television without being bombarded with Covid 19 information from every source..some of it accurate and some of it not. I personally had hoped that in spite of the seriousness and sadness of it all, that politics would somehow stop rearing it's ugly head, but I am not sure that anything will stop that.

Coping Measures

How Does One Cope With A Crisis Of This Magnitude?

For many, faith is the comforter. For others, it may be exercise. Afterall, that is one of the few freedoms we still have left to some degree. Have you seen the statistics on how many people are exercising? I think it was 70%. Too bad it took a forced quarantine and pandemic to get us off of our couches, but it is positive no less. But there is also the other side to that statistic, those of us who are inhaling way too many covid calories out of boredom. I am told by my jeans that I may fall into this category.

I have seen a huge proliferation of music videos, technologically-composed choirs and virtual performances. I personally love this. To me, seeing people share the one thing that they can share, a God-given talent, to lift others, is special. I appreciate those efforts of people to do whatever they can  from wherever they are. We see stories of kind humanity and people sharing food and services. There are offers of free classes, fun webinars and even museums and cultural venues offering free viewings and online tours. Aren't we grateful for these! Truly, we are all in the same boat in our boring isolation. The one source that we typically complain about wasting too much time on (the internet), has now become our lifeline to friends and family.

Will The Pandemic Influence Lasting Change?

The pandemic will permanently change all of us in many ways. One of the most profound changes that I hope for, is that of cultural kindness. I hope that we never forget the value of our relationships and how lost we have felt without physically having them in our lives. It is easy to take these relationships for granted. If you think about it, we have been stripped of everything that we think we love. Our addictions to restaurants, beauty-care, spas, salons & gyms; every kind of food and TOILET PAPER that we have the expectation of buying whenever we need it; shopping; travel, ect., basically ALL of the material things we strive for and continually chase. How much are those material things helping us now? If we are fortunate enough to have them at this precarious time, are they truly serving our emotional needs? I think that one thing that has become crystal clear to me during this anxiety-producing period of my life, is that my friends and family mean more to me than any material thing I have or do not have! At the end of the day, our relationships are what matter most to us. I hope that we don't forget this when we have moved out of crisis and quarantine mode. I hope that we don't go back to life as we knew it before. I hope that this pandemic serves to teach us all that the love of family, friendships and our relationships are at the core of what is most important in this lifetime.

Relationships Matter

While we are living in unprecedented times and most of us had never lived through a pandemic until Covid 19, I am amazed at the amount of global compliance to the pandemic and the active quarantine. Yes, there are outliers who defy the orders for whatever their reasons, but for most of us, we are driven to compliance out of fear of becoming ill or making someone ill that we care about. No one wants to see anyone have to deal with this illness or worse, lose their life to this illness.

We have all, at some level, made a decision(s) about who and what is important to us. We have decided about what advice to listen to and who's advice we choose to follow. In other words, we have given weight to the issues that affect us and how we choose to think about them. It is my hope that at the end of this quarantine and pandemic, we will give that same amount of thought-provoking attention to the often very meaningless issues that divide us. It would be so nice to see people come together in kindness and comradery in tackling our culture's issues all year-round. The key message here is that WE choose how we are going to respond in any situation. And just as this quarantine has really hit home about what is truly important, I hope that those in a position of systemic power will see that this pandemic can serve as a course correction and the opportunity to not continue "business as usual" when all is said and done.

Let's Laugh..It's Better Than Fear

I talked about various coping measures and how we all choose to move through this challenging time. Many of us have chosen humor as our coping mechanism. Comics are performing online for us, we are actively creating memes; melt-down videos, cartoons and sharing Covid jokes. This is personally one of my chosen ways of coping. I would rather laugh than live in fear. Yes, some Covid jokes are corny as heck (especially at my house)..but we need laughter as much as we need Plaquenil. If we have to wear a mask when we go out, why not make it fun! We hear it alot these days, "This too, shall pass". And it will! Think of your most difficult and challenging experience in this lifetime. Perhaps you thought at the time, that you would never live through it..but you did! You may have even come through it, stronger and wiser than before. We will all come through this experience one way or the other. For some, it will be grieving the loss of a loved one or more; for others it may be the loss of a job or a business, but for all of us, no matter how many ways we have been touched by this pandemic, we will survive it! We have an opportunity to decide how we think about the experience. Will we talk about how absolutely horrible it was and see the glass have empty? Or will we identify the blessings of the experience and see the glass half-full or overflowing? We still have control over what we decide. Will we understand that whatever God we worship, has our back and will give us all we need for a fresh start? I hope so.

Our Thoughts, Prayers & Corny Jokes Are With You

A Wreath I Made To Lift My Mom & Her Senior Neighbor's Spirits

No matter which coping methods you are using to move through this period of your life, we hope that you know our thoughts, prayers and corny jokes are with you. Remember that corny jokes are some people's best coping mechanism, while prayer or other ways, may be someone else's. Be understanding of our universally, shared experience and make unforgettable notes and decisions about your realization of what is most important in this lifetime.

We will continue to keep All of you in our thoughts, prayers and well wishes!

We Were Looking For Awesome!

And We Found It!

We've Added A New Vital Signs Team Member!

For those of you who have been our long-time customers and know our team, (and for those of you who may be new to us), you may not realize that one of our former staff members, Bob Jakub, left us August 31, 2019. We enjoyed having Bob as part of our team for 11 years. But with Bob's exit, we were left with a designer spot to fill.

As a small, family-owned company, we have been fortunate to find highly skilled team members through our 15 (+) years of operation. In fact, we have only been in a position to hire permanent full-time workers on 4 occasions.

The Vital Signs Bar Is A High One

That is..working at Vital Signs not only requires a strong, professional, graphics skill set and production skills, but also requires a strong commitment to providing superior customer service to our customers. We have built our reputation on going that extra mile for our customers and as such, expect our entire Vital Signs Team to share that same enthusiasm.

Say "Hello" To Nick Fritz!

Our Newest Vital Signs Team Member

Hired as our new Graphic Designer/Production Assistant, Nicholas J. Fritz (Nick) is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Nick graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art Studio, with a concentration in Graphic Design. Since his graduation in 2012, Nick has gained a great deal of experience with designing for print, web page production and signage applications. Nick also has experience in fabrication and full production of various types of signs. Nick's production skills includes a knowledge of equipment operations which include: Vinyl plotters; Large format printers; Flatbed Printers and Routers.

Other Cool Factoids About Nick...

Nick was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the Wilmington, Delaware area. Originally, Nick started Indiana University in the Music Education field of study, but later switched to Graphic Arts (though he still enjoys playing music as a hobby). Nick also enjoys drawing and playing video games, but will now have to find time for his new role of being a dad!   Nick and his wife, Amanda are expecting their first addition to the Fritz Family this coming August 2020! We haven't learned of any coveted "gender reveal" information yet...but can help brainstorm that nursery either way!

For Yo Little Muggle

Graphics For All Genders

When Asked About Nick's Design Strengths..

And He Definitely Has Them!

Of course, we wanted to know if Nick has a particular strength (or more) we should know about? Nick enjoys typography and color (Yay..another Vital Signs Font Lover)! Nick also shared that he really enjoys "playing with negative space".  Of course, being one of the Vital Signs Owners who is a non-Graphic Artist, I asked myself..what is negative space and what was he talking about?

And This...Is Negative Space

My google search told me (for those of you who join me in wondering what negative space is as it relates to graphic design): Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space occasionally is used to artistic effect as the "real" subject of an image. 

So there you have it (and so do I), a better understanding of  negative space and what Nick enjoys! We can't wait to see what he does with all of the negative space we throw his way..haha!

If You're In The Vital Signs Hood..

Please take a quick minute to stop in and meet Nick! We want you to meet and get-to-know the newest member of our Vital Signs Family! With Nick's talents, we will continue to meet and exceed our 'raging fan's expectation' in 2020!

If We Can Help With Any Of Your Signage/Branding Needs, Please Give Us A Call Or Visit!

(412) 494-3308 or www.vitalsignspgh.com

What's Your 20?

Your 2020 Sign Budget That Is..

Or perhaps I should say, do you have a sign budget at all? It's that time of year folks. It is the beginning of a new year where your trusted professionals at Vital Signs remind you that it is critical to do an annual (if not on-going) sign/advertising review and/or possible update of your business branding/signage.

As busy business owners caught up in the day-to-day management of running a business and all that goes with it (not to mention the other outside life events that occur), a signage and visual branding review is easy to push aside when things get busy.

Though signs and sign budgets can sometimes seem like a less than critical business priority, nothing could be further from the truth. The updated and current visual daily branding of a business often serves as the lifeblood and bottom line of the business.

Effective Sign Advertising Builds Business

In today's advertising and media-driven climate, every business should be maximizing every advertising opportunity at their disposal within the bounds of their business budget!

Sign Details To Consider When Establishing A Sign Review And Budget 

• Sign(s) Condition: What shape is/are your existing signs in? Are your signs in dis-repair or showing serious signs of aging? Do they have vinyl peeling or do they appear faded, weathered, worn or worse? Are parts of your lit sign(s) burnt out or not working at all?

Has Your Sign Seen Better Days Like This One?

• Impression: What type of impression does your sign(s) leave with viewers? Do your signs and visual branding have big, colorful and instant impact? Is the sign design attractive or outdated for 2020? Is the message what you intended? Be very critical in your assessment of your signage/visual branding.  Are your signs screaming for a facelift? Does your sign(s) design reflect your business in the way that you want customers to see/think about your business?

Proof Your Signs Carefully To Ensure The Right Message Is Sent

• Functionality: Is your sign bringing you business? Do you have enough signage/graphic advertising throughout your entire space to ensure that your marketing message is received in the way that you want it to be? Does your visual branding work for you 24/7

Is This Message Working 24/7 For This Bank?

• Location(s): Are your signs placed in the most strategic location(s) of your business space? Are there additional locations within and without your business footprint that would increase viewer exposure from a different vantage point? Or perhaps adding new creative signage ideas not currently being utilized, such as: Ceiling danglers; floor graphics, sidewalk graphics or advertising wraps (on walls or objects).

Lights, Lights, Lights And Location!

• The Right Sign For The Job: Do you have the correct sign for the job? That is, maybe when first starting your business, you desired a large monument sign with a changeable LED message center, but could only afford a post and panel sign. Or perhaps your company has developed a company-wide environmentally-friendly philosophy that you would like to extend to your signage and advertising graphics. The world of digital graphics and signage is dynamic and constantly exploding the market with new and innovative sign products for every taste and budget.

A Well-Chosen Post And Panel Sign That Fits The Neighborhood Aesthetic

The Bottom Line

The reality is that the physical review of your signage/advertising/graphics is only part of the sign review process. The true assessment of whether your signs/advertising are working for you, is looking at the financial health of your business. Are your visual advertising efforts adding or subtracting from your bottom line? Reinventing or refreshing your business brand and signs, costs money and takes time. The return on your investment however, can be far greater than the time and expense extended to upgrade them.

Can't Replace Them All At Once?

No worries. Let us help. We sign folk will be the first to tell you that signage can be costly, but we can help your prioritize your signage/graphic needs. The Vital Signs Design Team is happy to sit down with you and develop a sign plan with different phases to meet your needs. We can even offer sign financing through some of our leasing partners. Buying signage can kind of be like dieting and losing weight... we don't want to suffer through the efforts, but are glad when we have a success story to tell. If you've taken the time to create financial goals to increase your income by growing your business, then you have included a marketing path to help get you there. Signs/visual branding should always be a part of that plan! Vital Signs is happy to help you evaluate your current signage/advertising and brainstorm the possibilities!

Call Us TODAY for your FREE 2020 Sign Review!

(412) 494-3308 or www.vitalsignspgh.com

Does FUNNY Sell?

When Signs Make You Laugh

In the past I have written about whether a funny business name helps to make a business successful. Today, however, I will pose the question, does a funny changeable message on a sign have an impact on one's business?

We frequently pass by a local (Big Guys Pizza) in Bridgeville, PA. Their sign cracks me up every time I pass it (and that's saying a lot when you're a sign professional who deals with signage daily).

Medical Marinara..Yes, Please

The First Time I Saw It...

I thought it was hysterical! There on the sign was the message: Now Selling Medical Marinara. Insert..'rolling on the floor laughing' emoji. Of course, one immediately understands the humor of a pizza establishment using lots of Marinara Sauce for their menu offerings. But the correlation of the message to the use and current debates of "Medical Marijuana" in many communities cannot be missed and why it especially makes the sign message funny.

So does it really work? The answer is Yes..in my opinion. While I am not looking at a sign study that proves it, I do know that a good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself. Advertising messages are supposed to be impactful and clever, but not overpowering.

Do Funny & Clever Messages Change One's Perception Of A Brand?

Most Animals & Owners Can Relate To This

I absolutely think so, because the business has reached the viewer on an unconscious level. These messages use various colors, shapes, images or words which enable customers or potential customers to make small but powerful associations between a brand and an intended meaning.

Indian Hills Community Center

Yes..It's Funny!

And let's face it, our culture is so frequently bombarded with negative news stories, maniacal politics and the like, that quite frankly, we enjoy seeing a humorous sign message that makes us laugh or smile. And..if the business owner is really savvy, like the Indian Hills Community Center in Colorado, they have realized that the regular & consistent use of humor in their messages, has built a following in the community, 'Drive-by-ers' and established or potential customers look forward to seeing each new message. Can that translate to increased business? You bet it can. Of course the food, product or service of the business has to have raging fans and keep customers coming back for more. But the bottom line is that these messages are funny and funny equals memorable and often, brand-building and socially shareable.

At Vital Signs we love a great, funny sign message or business name! If we can help to craft yours, please give us a call or stop by to speak to our design team.

(412) 494-3308 or visit us at: www.vitalsignspgh.com

A Little Hamstring Humor..

Runners Euphoria

Getting Your Money's Worth

Without any direct, personal knowledge, I have heard it said that avid runners are often the beneficiaries of what they call, a runner's high or euphoria when running. I would imagine that the feeling that they are referring to is generated from a physiological response of some sort of endorphin release. But there are other things that can add to the joy of running also, like: Humorous Signs!

I am always on the lookout for a fun sign story and this one did not disappoint. Apparently, the Bank of America in Chicago sponsors an annual marathon. With every marathon brings a big batch of screaming and supportive family members and friends to cheer their favorite runners on and holding their heartfelt, homemade signs. These signs are from various Chicago Marathons and one Pittsburgh Marathon..

An Infectious Dose Of Energy!

Motivators!

As I scrolled through the list of fun sign messages, I could not help but to think about how these signs would make me feel if I were the marathon contender, running by them. They are really hilarious. I can just imagine the tired, beleaguered folks running by and struggling to maintain their dwindling energy when coming upon the sign(s). Talk about a pick-me-up!

A Sign Of Unity

Banana Humor

What I especially love about the humorous marathon sign idea is that it is so much fun for everyone. It unifies the runners and their cheering crowd, but also makes any marathon planners or passers-by....happy! Wouldn't it be nice if the signs we hold up for most events, made us happy in this way..

Pittsburgh Marathoners...

This Sign..Found Only In Pittsburgh

In honor of the upcoming Great Race in Pittsburgh this weekend, Vital Signs wishes for you all:  Perfect weather, lots of hydration and a sprinkling of funny signs to propel you to the finish line!

If Vital Signs can help create your humorous message, please give us a call! 

(412) 494-3308 or www.vitalsignspgh.com

Happy Trails Ya'll!!