Monday, January 4, 2016

Decorating With Letters & Signs

Who Knew?

Well apparently lots of people knew and still do. With the ever exploding world of Television Home Interior Design Shows and internet sites, using "signs" and letters for interior design is more popular than ever. Why is it that the popularity of lit dimensional letters and funky fonts is more in demand than ever?
Marquee Letter E


Perhaps it is because the idea of using signs or letters in the context of residential design (or even commercial design) is so unexpected.  Whether the look is a shabby chic or couture sleek, using signs and letters in room designs work!

Sleek Design With Slender Dimensional Letter X (featured on Houzz.com)
White Marquee Letters Used In Words

Marquee Madness..

One can visit just about any craft store or home store these days and find a variety of letter types, both lit and not. Marquee letters are particularly popular right now. Most of the easily available letters available in stores are a very simple font. For custom letters/symbols, Vital Signs can help. 
Word Made With A Star Symbol

Dimensional Nursery Alphabet Wall

Directional Sign Design

Vintage Neon Cowboy & Marquee Letters
Backlit Dimensional Letter


Every interior designer (professional or amateur) knows that the design of a room or theme has a certain feel. Each design choice (small or large) for a room has it's place in pulling the entire space together. This is also true, for the use of dimensional letters/words/symbols used in a design. There are literally thousands of fonts to choose from. But finding the right font for a room's design can make or break the design impact. Vital Signs is happy to work with you in finding the perfect sign letter(s), word or symbol. A touch of custom design always adds an unmistakable polish to a room.


Sign Letters WORK!

As you can see from the images here, sign letters/words/symbols; vintage signs/neon and even signs themselves, work well in a room's design. Clearly, they make a bold statement. Weather that bold statement is a fun, whimsical or sophisticated message will depend on the design of the rest of the room.  Vital Signs can help execute your design vision. Because of our diverse design and manufacturing capabilities, we offer many artistic products to compliment your design aesthetic. Let's brainstorm the creative possibilities!


Call Us TODAY for your FREE Design Consultation!

(412) 494-3308






Tuesday, December 29, 2015

It's A Wrap!

A Residential Wall Wrap..

If you've ever had an old house, you probably have one. An ugly, concrete block wall that is. Like many old structures, either commercial or residential, many of us inherit what some might describe as an architectural faux-pas. Surely there is/was a more attractive structural solution than sharp, grey or white porous-looking block. So what's one to do with this kind of eyesore? 

Clearly, the economical, quick-fix solutions are limited. Or are they? The easiest answer is paint. Anyone can slap a quick coat or two of paint over block. But the change is minimal and may prove to draw more attention to the texture and porous nature of the block. If that is the desired look you are going for, you have an easy solution. But what if you want to make a big change without a substantial financial investment?
BEFORE


Think Creative Wall WRAP!

So what is a "wall wrap" you ask? Basically, it is exactly what it sounds like it is. It is the covering of a large surface area with a printed material (as opposed to paint). In the sign business, we have a variety of media types to choose from in producing a wall wrap. For instance, we have various vinyl media types. Some of them are vinyls which are made with a low-tack sticky backing. This allows the media to be smoothed out over the wall space & then easily removed at some future date, leaving no media or adhesive residue behind. 

Also, we can create custom, one-of-a-kind wallpaper. The wallpaper media that we use is manufactured like other wallpaper. That is, the design on the paper is custom designed by our design team, and printed and laminated by us, but then installed (by you or a professional wallpaper installer) using wallpaper glue applied to the wallpaper and then installed onto the wall surface, like other wallpaper applications.

Also, Vital Signs offers a unique thin fabric media which can be printed on & easily applied to various surfaces. With it's (anyone can do it) peel & stick application, our fabric media is rapidly gaining in popularity. This media is particularly suited for apartment walls or other walls where nail holes are not allowed/desired.

So Show Us An Example...

Our most recent wall wrap was applied in our own personal living space. Surrounded by white concrete block walls in a downstairs laundry room, we decided to wrap some portions of the existing block. Specifically, we chose to cover a large portion of the block wall which surrounds the stairs. I specifically chose a stacked stone image for the wall design. Understanding that the existing blocks had various irregularities in their surface, we chose a design that would enhance those irregularities. Both the existing block and the chosen image, offered dimension to the image that  gives the illusion of being "real" stacked stone.
AFTER

 The Result

Well obviously, a real stacked stone application would look best. But for the significant dollars saved by utilizing a printed wall wrap instead, we think it's a winning solution! Let's face it, doing laundry is never fun or motivating. And doing laundry in a space surrounded with boring concrete block and no design aesthetic..well sadly, that speaks for itself and for my lack of enthusiasm in even entering the space as little as possible.

I now enjoy the space and do not feel dread in having to spend time in what was formerly known as "the dungeon". 

Vital Signs can fix your boring space too! Call Us today to set up your FREE design consultation with our creative design team.

(412) 494-3308



Monday, November 16, 2015

Are Your Signs Just A Pane In The Glass?

What's In A Name?

Ask any "sign person" what makes a successful business name from a sign standpoint, and you are likely to hear a variety of things. Of course we sign folk think about several important sign name points, such as:

  1. How long is the name?
  2. How many channel letters will the name require?
  3. Will a landlord allow the type of sign you want?
  4. Is it a business name that will be easy to remember, and more importantly, work easily in a sign design and on other marketing collateral?
  5. Is it a name that is clear and will not cause confusion about the type of business it represents?
  6. Does the name fit with the corporate image?
  7. Are there specific colors that need to be used with the sign design?
  8. Will the sign name and logo design lend itself to an effective sign layout?
  9. Will the sign fit in the space that is available for the building in which the business resides?
  10. Has an adequate budget been developed for the specifically designed sign? 
INDIANA BONES TEMPLE OF GROOM


Smile-Producing?

Aside from considering all of the above mentioned business name points, is consideration of the creative and smile-producing part of a business name.

Some business owners choose names that elicit a smile. Many of these humorous business names have the deliberate consequence of being not only funny, but memorable. I for one, love to see a fun sign that makes me smile or laugh out loud. I have certainly seen enough signs that make me cringe or cock my head to one side trying to figure out the significance of the name and message. 

Professional Sign Friends of ours recently sent us a series of funny sign pictures. Of course we have seen many of these types of signs through the years, but these were especially funny, so I will share them with you. I must send the business owners a "kudos" for their humorous visions. 


JURASSIC PORK


Successful Sign Ingredients..

DEJA BREW


A humorous business name has to strike a unique balance of being able to touch a humorous note with the viewer, without being too "cutesy" or cheesy. I remember a few years back, I was driving home during afternoon rush hour traffic when our 'wrapped' Vital Sign's van broke down right in the middle of the right lane I was driving in. First of all, I was shocked that people kept honking at me & giving me snarling dirty looks and gestures, as if I could help it. One woman on the back of a motorcycle even screamed at me to get out of the _________road! Well...since I am not strong enough to push a car out of the road by myself, I called the police dept. to at least let them know that I was blocking the lane, until I could get some help.

The policeman showed up...and looked at the van and responded: " Oh, Vital Signs ", I remember this name, I see you guys everywhere. And we get that a lot, even after having been in business for over 10 years. We still hear comments about our fun and memorable name. 

Does It Pay To Have A Humorous Business Name?

CARL'S PANE IN THE GLASS


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'm pretty sure that there have been no studies which address the ROI on a humorous business name. But think about it. A customer needs to have a window replaced. A couple of things happen at this point. First, they may remember a quality company that they had used in the past, or possibly they have a referral from someone. 

If not, they may have seen that funny vendor name somewhere (Carl's Pane In The Glass) and be compelled to call. Or perhaps they google or pick up a phone book (if anyone still uses phone books) to search for a company. The customer immediately spots the funny business name among a group of other ho-hum and predictable names, and chooses the funny business name. Very often, a customer will be drawn to that humorous name. Why is that?

Well, let's face it..the goal is to get people to notice your business. A business which has a humorous business name draws attention and smiles, whether that name is on an actual sign or viewed among a directory of similar business types listed somewhere. And very often, that humorous business name reflects the sense of humor of the business owner(s) who created it, and there's something inherently friendly about that.

To Be Funny Or Not To Be...That Is The Question

Ultimately, the business owner(s) is the only one who can decide whether a humorous name is right for his/her business. That decision must take into account the type of business and what types of products and/or services are sold from the business. But when feasible, using a humorous business name can yield an ROI that is nothing to laugh at!

CYCLOANALYSTS

Plan Ahead

If you are an entrepreneur contemplating a new business, or an established entrepreneur contemplating a new business name, let Vital Signs help! Take advantage of our FREE signage consultation to let our design team help brainstorm a business name that will get your business noticed and remembered!!

Call Us TODAY !

(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com





Monday, November 2, 2015

Mosaic Inspiration

When Kids Create

There is nothing more charming than the art pieces that kids create. If you are a parent, you are likely to have a refrigerator, wall or drawer full of your child/children's brilliant works of art spanning months or years. Also, it is typical to visit a children's classroom at any school and to see colorful pictures adorning the classroom walls and halls. But what do you do when you have a huge collection of kid-created ceramic tiles?

The Pittsburgh Public Schools came to Vital Signs with a unique banner concept in mind.
The school wanted to memorialize a mass of ceramic art tiles that their students had created. Tasked with creating a very large banner using the colorful tiles, Vital Signs had to find a solution which would work.

Banner Made With Homemade Tiles

Have Tiles..Will Combine

The creative tiles were placed side-by-side en masse in order to take a picture of them all. The problem was that even a camera with a wide lens could not capture all of the tiles which would make up the 18' x 6' banner. It was decided that our designer would take individual pictures of all of the tile sections and then piece them together with a graphics program. Bob scaled the top of a ladder several times as he moved around the huge floor space filled with tiles as he took pictures.. It was necessary to climb to the top of the ladder to gain as much height as possible in an effort to take clear images of the beautiful tiles. Bob then pieced all of the sections together to create, what turned out as a beautiful art piece.

Vital Signs Has Creative Solutions

This ultra large banner was not our usual request, but another fun project we enjoyed. The Vital Signs Design Team is available to find creative solutions for you too! The more unusual the project, the better we love it!

Call Vital Signs today for your BIG COLOR solutions!


(412) 494-3308

www.vitalsignspgh.com


Monday, October 26, 2015

It Doesn't Get Any Cooler Than This

I Love A Great Sign!

One of the job hazards (or perks) of being a "Sign Person" is that we look at signs wherever we go. And yes, we make judgements. It's the nature of the job. Unfortunately, we see a lot of terribly bad signs. But we also see some colorful and creative signs.

In a recent copy of the Sign Builder Illustrator Magazine, there was an article featuring some crazy- cool signs. The artist, Jeff Meyers is the talented creator of these signs. Jeff owns Modern Artifacts in Portland, Oregon.  As soon as I turned the page, I was mesmerized at Jeff's industrial art pieces. 

Jeff was commissioned by the World of Speed Museum in Wilsonville, Oregon, to create three pop art sculptures. These hand-crafted sculptures have a labored patina of rusty steel, bronze, hand-formed neon, programmed LED's, motorized elements, and even audio components. 

The first piece was a tribute to Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America land speed record holder that went 526.277 miles per hour in 1964. The 3D interactive display features lights, neon, the authentic sound of the car's jet engine and an amazing crackle tube that illustrates the effects of the car's jet exhaust.


Spirit of America 

Fun For Kids And Grown Men 


Okay...it's really fun for everyone...just especially kids and grown men. Jeff's second commissioned piece is an interactive robot called Ignito. Ignito was designed to be educational and enjoyed by all ages. The hand-cranked display illustrates how a four-cycle engine works: Basically, it's suck, squish, bang, and push. Kids can also press the "start" button and watch the gauges work and lights flash as Ignito talks.


Ignito

About Jeff Meyers...


Jeff Meyers is an industrial artist with a deep interest in interpreting, recreating and inventing the past. Jeff's work reflects his love of modern versions of old icons and is an interpretation of a bygone era. His work is so precise, it often cannot be discerned from the decades old, design.

A Little Bit O' Nostalgia


One visit to Jeff's website Modern Artifacts, and you are whimsically transported back in time. You can't help but smile as you look at Jeff's one-of-a-kind creations. Why is that? I think that it takes a great many of us back to the good ole days we all remember. A time when things were simpler, (we were younger) and life was good. Not many signs have that kind of impact on the viewer. If you get a chance, please take a stroll down memory lane at Jeff's site: www.modern-artifacts.com

And a big fist pump and "well done" to Jeff for creating such a creative mix of sign artistry. We love discovering outstanding sign craftsmen.

If Vital Signs can help with any of your sign needs that don't call for Jeff's amazing skill sets, please give us a call! And if they do require Jeff's skill sets, just tell him that Vital Signs sent you.

(412) 494-3308