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Business Signage

Nov 20
Our Clients’ Work is Our Work, Too

Our Clients’ Work is Our Work, Too

By Business Signage

There’s a reason each of the HS Sign Shop team members has a tape measure at their side. Because with any signage or related installation, it’s the details that really matter. The details in both design and construction make the difference on completed projects – and installs everyone can be proud of for years to come. In short, our clients’ work is our work, too.

Understanding People and Communicating Process

It takes a very special set of skills to work at HS Sign Shop. You must be a great visualizer and designer, as well as have a passion to build and install. These alone are very rare skill combinations. But in addition, it’s important to connect with people and communicate through the entire process.

Our team does exactly that.

We could brag about these guys all day long, but the referrals coming from our current clients say it best. We continually hear that Jason Jellis and team make the process fun and easy. Our guys never say “no” to a challenge and always have a smile on their faces while tackling it.

This is a great benefit to our clients because any design and construction can be a stressful endeavor. Communication and responsiveness is key when juggling all the elements involved. That’s not only great attention to detail, it’s great attention to our clients’ goals.

The Details of Design and Installation

We’ve talked a lot about things to consider when designing a sign. But design is only one stage of the process. Here are just a few of the details our team considers with any project.

  • Does the design reflect the business’s goals and brand?
  • What is the right combination of materials required for outdoor or indoor placement?
  • Is it scalable? How can we expand, maintain and update over time?
  • Are we properly coordinating the timelines and structural requirements with marketing managers, architects, operations managers and considering all zoning and electrical requirements?
  • And of course, does it make the visual impact required?

There are many places to order a sign. But there are only a few that deliver a team with professionalism and expertise to walk alongside every step of the way. The details matter because any good investment should gain returns. We don’t want clients to just breathe a sigh of relief when something is completed, we want them to be exceptionally proud to show it off.

Now Back to Those Tools

In addition to those trusty tape measures, you’ll find the HS Sign Shop team equipped with cutters, markers, solvents, ratchets, drills, and every tool under the sun to make a great design and installation happen. And in the rare case they don’t have something, they always find it.

One final tool? Exceptional pride in the work done. Our team doesn’t rest until a job is completed to exact specification and client satisfaction. It’s because we treat your work as our own. That’s an attention to details that not only eases minds, but turns heads.

Are you looking to turn heads with a sign, design, display or even something you’re imagining that you haven’t quite put your fingers on yet? HS Sign Shop is here to help. Call 605.331.2155 or Jason@henkinschultz.com.

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Oct 23
donar wall graphic

How a Donor Display Can Be a True Work of Art

By Business Signage

Whether you’re a hospital, museum, church, school or other non-profit institution, you’ve likely relied on the generosity of donors. Why not celebrate their generosity, with a donor display worthy of their gifts. The vision of what a donor wall can be has dramatically changed. The HS Sign Shop team discusses how.

Making Walls Come to Life

We have to admit, even the phrase “donor wall” sounds kind of stuffy. But with today’s modern materials and new technologies, the sky is truly the limit on making a wall come to life. You’re display may include:

  • 3-dimension materials
  • Interactive video
  • Customized artwork
  • Stylized photography
  • Dynamic lighting
  • Any combination of paint, materials, glass, acrylic and more!

A donor display is typically placed in a high-traffic location to maximize viewing and garner the most attention for your donors. It only makes sense that such a space should not only serve the function of recognition, but also art.

Where to Start

HS Sign Shop team begins any donor wall project with a site visit and a discussion. Our team will:

  • Meet in person to look at your space
  • Discuss your vision for the project
  • Examine your current design, architecture and environment
  • Collaborate on initial designs and material suggestions
  • Follow-through from concept to completion

In many cases, there are several discussions as the project evolves. But that doesn’t mean the process is cumbersome. HS’s Sign Shop team is not only highly adept and creating and installing, they’re a lot of fun to work with, too. And they take great pride in designing something you can be proud to show off.

“With any project, we want to make sure the efforts of donors are on full display,” said HS Sign Shop Specialist Jason Jellis. “And there are tasteful and impactful ways to make it really something special that reflects your mission, too.”

Let the Fun Begin

Looking for a little inspiration? Check out some of HS Sign Shop’s work. You may find something that catches your eye or have a unique idea of your own. Give us a call at 605.331.2155 or email jason@henkinschultz.com and let’s have a conversation on what’s possible.

donor wall inspiration
donor wall inspiration

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Sep 28
Reconsidering Your Marketing Touchpoints

Reconsidering Your Marketing Touchpoints

By Business Signage

When you talk to one of our HS Sign Shop specialists, you may hear them talk about marketing touchpoints. The team installs interior, exterior and vehicle signage of all types. But what they really do when they visit your business site is consider your marketing touchpoints.

You Space is Your Advertising

HS Founder Kirby Schultz is a big believer in the fact that your entire space is an advertisement for what you do. As a designer of HS’s own building space, Kirby has passed that philosophy along to the Sign Shop team.

So what is a marketing touchpoint? As it relates to signage and interior design, it’s any space your customers or prospects may see regularly—while driving by, waiting in the lobby or sitting in a conference room.

Where to Begin

Most every HS Sign Shop job begins with a site visit, an audit of your space. Just as HS’s team talks about the customer journey in traditional and digital advertising, we look at the journey your customers take through your physical space, too.

This may include:

  • What does the entrance to your building look like?
  • What obstacles may exist to having a clear visual of your location?
  • What images, information or artwork greet a customer upon entry?
  • What displays or messaging engage a customer while they wait?
  • Do they get a sense of what you do when they walk down a hallway?
  • Do you have a vehicle fleet and does it visually represent you?
  • And in general, is your interior friendly and welcoming?

These are just a few of the things we consider when looking at the marketing touchpoints that your customer may engage with in their physical journey to—and through—your business.

It’s Not Just About the Ads, It’s About the Experience

It’s been well documented that consumers receive thousands of advertising messages each day. So to be clear, we’re not talking about slapping ads on top of everything you own. We’re talking about creating tasteful spaces that tell your story including:

  • Color and palette choices
  • Large scale photography or mural art
  • Stylized typography of your mission or values
  • Three-dimensional art displays
  • And more!

The options are only limited by your imagination. So if you are reimagining your marketing touchpoints, let the HS Sign Shop team do some imagining with you. Call 605.331.2155.

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Aug 21
5 Things to Consider When Designing a Sign

5 Things to Consider When Designing a Sign

By Business Signage

HS and the HS Sign Shop design a lot of signage: billboards, monument signs, and any combination of exterior and interior branding in-between. When thinking of the difference between a sign and other visual elements, our designers compiled these 5 keys to consider when designing your signage.

  1. Legibility – Legibility is important for all types of design, but it’s especially important with signage. Signs are viewed anywhere from a few feet to a few blocks away. It’s important to understand the limitations of where your signage lives. Taking that context into consideration should inform your font size, the number of graphic elements, and additional wording.
  2. Contrast – Contrast and legibility go hand-in-hand. Contrast involves your light and dark color combinations, background, materials, and is especially important when considering your signage is seen regularly at night as well as during the day.
  3. Surveying the Site – The best designed signage can be hampered by its environment. That’s why a site survey is so important. HS takes pictures of the space, shares ideas on how to make the best use of it, and notes any competing elements or additional installation needs like lighting or weather-resistant materials.
  4. Measurement – There is zero margin for error when placing a sign of any kind. It seems like a no-brainer, but exact measurements of both the space as well as the depth, width and height of the signage are crucial. This not only ensures the proper design specs, it also assures any outside material vendors of your requirements. In many cases, this not only benefits the design, it makes sure you are in compliance with any zoning requirements, especially for outdoor signage and shared spaces.
  5. Less is More – Even something as small as a business card has some latitude in how much you can say. That reader is holding your card in their hand, and they have more time to consider what you’re saying. This is not the case with signage. Most viewers only have a few seconds to safely view your signage message. Keep it short and impactful: a phrase and a logo; your logo and a URL; your logo and a call to action. The end.

The Legacy of Signage

Yes, a sign is a physical object that is designed and installed. But it’s so much more than that. It is the physical identifier of your business and a glimpse into your brand. For those who are unfamiliar with you, it’s a first impression – and even part of your legacy. If someone sees a sign they recognize for years, it’s a testament to your consistency and longstanding presence. In short, it is part of your legacy.

HS Knows Signage

Do you need a sign created with forward-thinking design and construction? HS is here to make it happen. Our experts are here to consider the variables you may not – and free you to do the work you do, all in an effort to promote where – and who – you are. Call the HS Sign Shop today at 605.331.2155 or email Jason directly: jason@henkinschultz.com.

Apr 27
A Guide to Business Signage Acronyms & Terms - HS Sign Shop

A Guide to Business Signage Acronyms & Terms

By Business Signage

Sometimes Jason and the crew at the HS Sign Shop are so good at their craft, their intricate knowledge even confuses us. They can look at a prospective signage or design project and immediately start talking about solutions.

So, we’re here to help sort through the terms and options you should know if considering exterior signage or interior design.

There is No One Perfect “Sign” Solution, There are Many

Part of the job of the HS Sign team is to help you find the right solution or combination of solutions for your signage and design needs. The options at your fingertips are countless. Here are a few of the more common choices:

Copper Leaf custom sign

Monument signs – Monument signs are larger, weather-resistant signs that sit close to ground level – or on the ground – and are constructed to be a solid feature that can withstand time and make a dramatic impact and first impression for your business.

First Presbyterian Church

Pylon signs – These freestanding signs can be described as a pole or set of poles with advertising messaging on top. They can be one, two or multiple- sided.

Cimpl Arena at Mount Marty

Building signs – A very versatile option to fulfill many functions: name and logo, directions, seasonal sales or any other type of promotional message. They are durable and easy to maintain.

Interstates Custom Wall

Wall signs – Your wall is often your best asset. Using self-adhesive vinyl for wall signage makes it very easy to install and remove artwork. Of course, there are countless more permanent options, too.

SDSU game day graphics

Window graphics – Again, window graphics are printed on vinyl and placed on glass windows or storefronts. They are high-impact and cost effective in both branding and boosting sales.

Augustana University Alumnibanners

Pole signs – These signs are mounted to poles and are often used for directions to your business or helping navigate an outdoor space, such as parking. Pole signs are extremely versatile in size and usage.

A Few Terms to Know Along the Way

Regardless of whatever signage or design combination best suits your business, here are few terms to know about the signage journey from concept to completion.

Site Survey – The site survey is where the HS Sign Shop team physically takes a tour of your location, does some initial measurements and has an informal conversation about your needs and vision.

Conception – Conception may cover many conversations. The HS team will share some options, build out quotes, get your feedback and work toward a full design.

Design and Review – This is the fun part, creating the layout and renderings to help you picture your signage and designs in-place. Prior to any materials being ordered, the HS Sign Shop team works to ensure full buy-in on the entire project scope and budget.

Install – Install typically doesn’t have to interrupt any work operations, though it may pose some minor inconveniences. HS Sign Shop can work with you on the best time and day to plan your install, taking both work and weather into consideration.

Maintenance  – Today’s materials are almost maintenance free. However, depending on the complexity of your materials, lighting, location, landscaping etc, there are always things to consider. HS Sign Shop team can develop a regular maintenance and checkup plan with you.

Making the Case for the Importance of Signage

Sometimes it’s hard to fathom why a business may need to consider new signage “outside,” when most interactions are happening “inside” or “online.”

According to a study by Nielsen, out-of-home or outdoor advertising was the most effective “offline” medium to drive online activity.

Why? Because outdoor signs connect with your clients in the places they frequent, gaining eyeballs and encouraging engagement on the spot.

Signage raises a company’s visibility — and the likelihood a customer will seek them out on their phone or research them when they are in the market for services.

If you’re in the market for signage services, or, to just better understand the complexity of your options, contact HS Sign Shop today.

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Dec 01
Interior Design as Advertising for Your Brand

Interior Design as Advertising for Your Brand

By Business Signage

One of HenkinSchultz’s primary functions is to help people with their advertising, including what to say, where to say it and why.

But as the HS Sign Shop reminds us this month, many businesses can take advantage of their very own advertising space, too. How? By making their buildings, offices and interior spaces a true reflection of who they are as a company.

Design is More than Filling Your Space

One of the fun things about being a marketing agency that serves many types of companies, is that we get to see the inside and outside of many types of businesses.

It’s not uncommon to see a lot of similar elements: those fun paintings you found at the big box store, some framed prints, plaques, certificates or awards. And while all of those are nice things, are they truly telling the story of who you are? Are they truly being an advertisement for your business?

How to Tastefully Tell Your Story

Using your interior space is not only about design, it’s about tastefully telling your story. The HS Sign shop has done this for countless clients.

“Sign” itself is somewhat of a limiting word, because there are many different types of materials and options that can be applied to your interior design including:

  • Wall wraps
  • Custom displays
  • Historical timelines
  • Mission, vision and values pieces
  • Etched glass and privacy applications
  • Directional signage
  • Paint and vinyl applications

It’s really limited only by your imagination. And with today’s technology and materials, it doesn’t necessarily have to be limited by your budget either.

A Simple Walkthrough Can Make a Dramatic DifferenceThe options may seem a bit overwhelming, but a simple walkthrough can make all the difference. The HS Sign Shop team is very skilled at taking a look at your space and discussing what is possible – and more importantly, impactful.

Are you looking to advertise your own story on your own four – or forty – walls? Contact HS Sign Shop today.

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May 31
Strategic Branding of a Facility

Strategic Branding of a Facility

By Business Signage

When you’re building a new facility, you start with a blueprint. Strategic branding and facility branding work the same way. At HS Sign Shop, we don’t pour foundations or erect buildings, but we do have a blueprint for how we approach branding them.

Form and Function of Business Signage and Branding

We’ve discussed it before in previous blogs, but the HS Sign Shop team always starts with a site visit. In that visit, we snap photography, take measurements and hear your thoughts on your space. It’s the beginning of our blueprint and our strategy.

When you’re thinking in terms of branding your facility with signage or art, it’s good to think in terms of both form and function. Examples of form execution include:

  • Logo or illustrative elements
  • Wall murals or photography
  • And basically anything that serves as design or branding enhancement

But we also look at a building in terms of function, too. Functional elements can include:

  • Exterior signage or monument signs
  • Window decals
  • Indoor wayfinding or directional signage
  • Donor or history walls
  • And anything that serves a specific informational function

Your Space Helps Shape Our Strategy

This is where the HS Sign Shop strategy comes into play. Form and function should work together. Finding the right balance of design and information is what can really take your building or facility to the next level.

We don’t look to cover every natural space with design, but rather explore the best opportunities to add brand elements tastefully. Our team works with you to develop your space into an advertisement for your business and a place that is comfortable and welcoming to visitors and staff.

So Don’t Just Decorate, Strategize

Our designers at HS Sign Shop love to strategize how a space will both look and function great. When HS worked with Luverne Aquatics and Fitness Center, we made intentional choices on where to put what, and which areas of their new facility would experience the most customer traffic.

Luverne Aquatics & Fitness Facility fitness lobby
Luverne Aquatics & Fitness Facility donor plaque
Strategic Branding of a Facility back wall
Luverne Aquatics & Fitness Facility observation room

That’s where the beauty of working with us comes into play. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to branding a facility, which is why we sit down with you, tour your space, and make recommendations based on your budget, goals, and vision.

Looking for a blueprint and strategy on designing your space? Talk to the HS Sign Shop today.

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Mar 28
sign shop graphic

Interior Signage: Mission and Vision

By Business Signage

Let Your Mission Statement Show

Most companies have some form of mission, vision and values they live by. The problem is, oftentimes they are buried away in a filing cabinet or hard-to-find website link.

However, featuring your mission or values as part of your interior signage is one way the HS Sign Shop helps companies tastefully highlight what they are all about.

use your space to tell who you are

Using Your Space To Tell Who You Are

So, let’s take a few examples of mission, vision and value statements and consider how you may incorporate them.

  • Courtesy, Honesty and Consistency
  • Passionate About Solutions
  • We Continuously Improve All Areas of Service

These statements could potentially be for most any company, but they give you an idea on how to envision them at work.

Imagine a customer service counter with “Courtesy, Honesty and Consistency” beautifully and dramatically as part of your decor. It’s a reminder to both customers – and employees – of what you stand for.

Or imagine a waiting space with “Passionate About Solutions” greeting any one who comes in the door.

These aren’t just any old “ads” you see everywhere. They can truly be inspirational works of art that are tastefully part of your decor. So how do you begin considering an interior space makeover?

HS Sign Shop Process

HS Sign Shop Process

HS takes a customized and consulting approach. Maybe you have a partial idea of what you want–or a space where you know you want “something”. The HS Sign Shop team will do a site visit with you to hear your thoughts and explore your space.

As we consider design, we’ll stay up to date on all industry trends, including materials,
manufacturing, application methods and technologies available to you.

We take the time to understand the challenge, offer solutions and then design and create with established processes to make sure we deliver on our commitment.

HS Sign Shop Process

Speaking of Mission, Vision and Values….

A lot of companies are not only looking for an update to their interior, they’re reconsidering their mission language, too. Businesses and customers change and evolve. So sometimes your message needs to also change.

HS Sign Shop and our HenkinSchultz team can help with that, too. If you’re looking to design your interior space with the things you believe–or are looking for a better way to say the things you believe, contact HS today.

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Feb 22
animation of hanging signs

Modern Signage with Classic Style

By Business Signage

There’s nothing quite like the beauty of a well-designed sign for a business. The character, the simple, well-thought out design, and the way it makes its mark on a city landscape is something that can be hard to replicate.

Many people wonder what their options are for exterior business signs, and they often don’t realize there are more possibilities than a basic backlit sign. In fact, there are seemingly endless opportunities to create a unique exterior display.

What you need is a business partner in your corner who will analyze your space and come up with a way to make an impactful impression.

Horizon Exterior Sign

What an Exterior Sign Can Do for You

The optimal exterior business sign catches people’s attention and sticks with them long after they’ve passed it.

Think about the signs you see on your daily commute. An iconic banking logo, golden arches, a bold religious symbol–exterior signs are the most practical way to get in front of people with your branding.

Luverne

Most exterior signs the HS Sign Shop does fall into one of four categories:

  1. Monument Signs (Freestanding structures typically in front of a building or near a road)
  2. Dimensional Letter and Logo Building Signs (Custom machined displays installed on a building or storefront)
  3. Backlit Sign Panels (Acrylic sign faces within a lit sign frame)
  4. Vinyl Window Displays (Vinyl applied to storefront glass)

Often, these are lit up at night in some sort of way, so while your organization may not be open, it is certainly making an impact and sticking with people no matter the time of the day.

Simply put, there is no better way to leverage your existing real estate as an advertising opportunity than with exterior signage.

Great Planes Travel

How HS Sign Shop Can Exceed Your Expectations

Working with us is unique because we consider everything about your project, including your space, your audience, and your budget. This allows us to create extraordinary results.

Our in-house printing materials are durable and versatile, allowing us to create a sign that pushes your name out to every passerby in the area–combining it with your building’s design and lighting to seamlessly transition your space into a new look.

Further, creating a sign is not the unattainable specialty it used to be. The design principles and classic styling are still around, but now it can be done for any size of business without breaking the bank.

At the end of the day, it’s about leaving your visual mark on the community in the best way possible, and ideally, becoming an iconic structure that everyone remembers.

If you need to display your brand more proudly and effectively, trust the HS Sign Shop to help you stand out.

Simply put, there is no better way to leverage your existing real estate as an advertising opportunity than with exterior signage.

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Jan 28
Pop with Updated Materials

Returning to Trade Shows: Pop with Updated Materials

By Business Signage, Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

Trade shows are coming back, and while they may look a little different, now’s a crucial time to stand out and get your name noticed.

If you’ve updated your brand recently, or haven’t printed new banners in a while, you need some new materials to help your booth pop.

The Power of Refreshing Your Materials

Creating an updated look for your trade show booth is a great way to get noticed and not blend into the crowd.

We’ve all seen booth designs that consist of a singular, faded logo banner and some supporting stands behind them that have a lot of small, unattractive, and unnecessary text.

The most effective trade banners we’ve seen have a unified theme, bright brand colors, minimal (but effective) copy, and an enticing design that attracts people to your booth while conveying a message about your company or organization.

Obviously you want to stay on brand, but a new layout and bolder design is a good way to avoid being stagnant and looking like the sea of other vendors who have over-crowded banners around their booth.

This follows a basic principle that’s often found in effective marketing and advertising–when your competitors go one direction, you should go the other way.

And while some executives within your organization may worry about not providing enough information, you should bear in mind that the banners are just the tip of the iceberg–once they get to the booth, you can give them more details.

The Materials You Should Have for a Trade Show

There are a lot of items you can have at a trade show booth, and the key to deciding what to bring is to understand your space and what is necessary information.

If you have a traditional booth size of 10×10, you’ll need at least a banner behind you and a table cover. Step and repeat banners and basic logo banners are common, but the options are limitless.

Some of our favorite banners are structured a lot like a brochure or a sales sheet. The most important information and visual elements should appear first and up top, and if people want more information, they can scan further down and approach the booth for handout materials.

This helps with locking in on a sale and provides your floor workers the opportunity to make contact with a prospect and exchange contact information.

Furthermore, with the increase in demand for social distancing and new health and safety protocols at many event centers, booths are getting larger areas, meaning you have more room for displays and tables.

Moving Past Basic Booth Design

There are many opportunities to showcase your brand at a trade show or event–it’s just a matter of knowing what’s allowed in a venue and not letting opportunities go to waste.

If you are the prime sponsor or host of a trade show and event, you are going to have more space available. Many people get tempted to just spread out their materials or add more of the same, but why not try something else?

You can place photo booth backdrops and interactive displays and demonstrations into your area, and these are designed to encourage people to interact with your brand and have more positive associations with it.

Even going outside of the booth, you can have directional floor clings to lead people to your sales table. Or maybe you just want to engage and entertain with some interesting copy and design.

Whatever you’re given for a trade show, whether you’re the host or a booth stuck in the back corner, it’s imperative you make the most of your space. If you aren’t sure how to capitalize on your live event, call the HS Sign Shop–we’ll be more than happy to create something that will drive your audience to move.