Boutique Bungalow

I ran across this post a week or so ago from Desire to Inspire about a new boutique hotel opening in New Jersey. The designers of this hotel are the talented Sixx Design. If you want to see photos of the interior, Desire to Inspire has quite a few. I pulled the sign photos from that post. It's so refreshing to see how simple and inexpensive materials can be used in such a creative and unique way. The design of these signs looks high end, but the material choice was budget friendly. If you see the interior photos, the money was well spent elsewhere! Fantastic job all around.

Keep it Simple

With the ever growing worry about the economy and corporate spending, less is more seems to be the new trend. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, you don't have to sacrifice good design and aesthetics while working with a low budget. A good designer knows how to make the most of any budget. A good designer also knows where to scale back and also what is absolutely necessary for a successful piece.

The sign in the photo above is for a newly renovated apartment community. They had a limited budget for a new sign since they were spending the majority of their budget on interior renovations. In order to make the most of their budget, the existing sign structure was refurbished and salvaged for the new sign. The photo below shows the old sign.

By using simple materials, an existing structure, and a fresh new panel design, the sign looks more expensive than it was. In order to save cost on lighting, the sign panel is a bright brushed aluminum and the letter faces have a reflective surface. Simple details such as the dimensional letters, the aluminum surround on the cap, and the spaced off main panel, give the sign a more complex look and richer feel. Again, good design can be affordable. You just have to find the right designer.

The Objects of Inspiration

Many Artists and Designers can agree that the most mundane everyday items can be a source of inspiration. Sometimes the inspiration lies in the way these items are constructed, the color of the item, or simply the material used to make them. Below are some examples of items that inspired some of my designs. For instance, an ordinary metal IKEA trash bin served as inspiration for a perforated mesh sign face for MAC Fitness.
The material and construction of metal venetian office blinds was my inspiration for a restaurant entrance sign.
The edge of my laptop's monitor served as my inspiration for construction of a fabric awning frame.
The translucent material of a ballpoint pen inspired some of my translucent sign letters. Lastly, the translucent cutting mat with printed surface served as my inspiration for a custom, translucent, matte finish ADA elevator floor level indicator.
Inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere. You just have to be open to finding it.

ill-Luminous

Technology is racing at a break-neck speed when it comes to innovations of light products. The most versatile, marketable, economical and environmentally respectful product designs will be the winners. The uses of these products are innumerable. Some of the applications are a bit eccentric, but they can be used commercially, especially for Signage. I'm not talking about the cheesy "We're Open" signs. I'm talking about more appropriate and less trite applications. Below is one of my designs which uses Flexible LED Tube to simulate Neon. With the flexible tubes, the corners and overall look is clean and sharp. By using LED technology the overall cost savings and longevity far exceeds traditional Neon. The only downside is that LEDs are not as bright as exposed Neon.

Textures

Utilizing different textures and materials can really make a sign stand out. Whether the texture is applied to the substrate/mounting surface, the letters themselves, or as a decorative element, it can really add depth and character to a sign or signage system. Here are a few examples and links that I've compiled.

It's great to see sign examples that not only consider the sign letters themselves, but the substrates they are mounted to. I love the sign for The Getty Center. The live wall behind the pinned-off letters is great. Sometimes the substrate can offer a nice contrast in surface to make the sign really stand out.


Here is a fun, permanent shade structure that I designed to accommodate retail signage at 701 Eden Street in Baltimore. Not only does it provide shade, it also adds texture and a simple mounting detail for entrance signs.


I also really like the creativity behind this art exhibition entrance. It was for Royal College of Art Summer Show in 2007. The 2008 show entrance is also amazing and larger than life, literally.


Here is another example of how I've used texture to my advantage with my designs. The number 3 is a level indicator for a painted concrete wall in a parking garage elevator lobby at Harbor East in Baltimore. I selected a bright wall color for the plain concrete block wall and designed a sleek cut-out brushed aluminum number that is pinned off of the wall surface. The contrast really makes the number pop.


Using an architectural metal mesh material or custom perforated metal can also add texture to your designs. There are many sites that sell this material including Banker+Wire and Cambridge Architectural Metal.


Here are 40'+ painted perforated metal banners that I designed for tenants at Harbor East. This gave the more permanent anchor tenants a presence along Fleet Street. Most of the traffic flow travels along Fleet. Even though these anchors didn't have storefronts along the main street, they had an opportunity to advertise their location in the project. The perforated metal provides a lightness and translucency that is unique and eye-catching.


You can also use the perforated metal as a letter face. This allows the letter to be a solid color during the day, but light up internally at night. I used this technique for the two signs below.


You can also add texture to your designs as a decorative element. At Maple Lawn in Columbia, MD, I was inspired by all of the maple trees they intended on planting in the community. It was a perfect opportunity to incorporate the maple leaf motif in my signage. The cut out leaf pattern of various maple leaves painted to match the sign frame was a subtle detail that really made the sign system unique. The maple leaf brackets for the sign panels on all directional and way-finding signs pulled the theme together.


I hope that these examples inspire textural creativity in your designs. Feel free to post comments or inquiries about my posts. It's always nice to get other opinions that could be both helpful and inspirational!

Light & Shadow

Recently, I've seen a few sign projects that harness visible light and manipulate light waves in order to produce unique effects. Below are some examples that use modern materials, shadows and projected light to enhance their design. Some of the materials, including Litracon and Corian Illumination Series, I'd love to use in future projects. The last four images are SEGD award winners.