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HS Sign Shop discusses how donor walls provide recognition and enhance space.

Thank Donors Through Great Design

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

Most every association, school or non-profit benefits from the generosity of individual donors. Donors are the lifeblood of many organizations. Recognizing them is not only important to say “thank you”, it can also be a centerpiece design for your space.

More Materials, Unlimited Design Options

Gone are the days of a wooden plaque with tiny metal engraved squares. Today’s technologies and materials now allow limitless options to highlight donors in stylish, creative and memorable ways.

Whether it be through photographs, text, timelines, historical elements or any combination of the above, your recognition of donors doesn’t have to be a bland corner of your building. It can be a centerpiece of your space.

City of Luverne

Examining Your Space and Knowing Your Goals

When clients approach HS Sign Shop about things like signage, interior design and donor walls, they often have an idea in mind. It is the job of our designers to help flush that idea out and come to life in its fullest.

“We approach every space with a fresh set of eyes,” says HS Sign Shop specialist Jason Jellis. “We can take a simple idea and enhance it to make it spectacular and a design element offices and organizations can be proud of.”

Sigma Phi Epsilon SDSU

Never Lose Track of Design

Thanking donors, of course, fulfills a couple goals: showing appreciation for those who give and recognizing their contributions publicly. However, doing so should also fulfill your desire for a well-designed, beautiful space.

There’s no reason a donor wall, donor space or memorial structure of any kind should be boring. With imagination, planning and thoughtful design, your donor space can not only be a place of recognition, but a beautifully designed destination. Done right, it can attract new donors, too!

Are you considering or reconsidering how you recognize your donors or dedicate a space to celebrate them? Talk to HS Sign Shop today.

Sigma Phi Epsilon SDSU

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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.

Koens Corner

Making a Wish Come True Through Signage Design

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

We at the HS Sign Shop have worked on a lot of cool, crazy and unique projects since we opened our doors–it’s what we do. Many custom wall display projects stand out as memorable for us, and one in particular will stay in our hearts for many years to come.

Koen, a local 7-year-old who has a respiratory disorder, was granted a wish by Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana, and he made the incredible decision to help other kids. And when we were asked to help with the project, we jumped on board without hesitation.

Creating the Room Concept

Koen is truly a farm kid. Cattle, tractors, early mornings–he loves everything about it.

To make his wish come true, Koen wanted to transform the Avera Specialty Pediatrics waiting room into a play area themed around his farm that helps kids have fun during their visits. This required us to come up with a wrap display design and make the room have a fun farm feel.

“Make-A-Wish told us ‘go,’ so I started by creating a design of a cartoon farm,” said Eric Van Beek, one of our Large Format Specialists. “We got the dimensions of the room, came back, had a group meeting, and showed the team the rough concept, and they all loved it.”

However, the most important client to get approval from was Koen.

“He loved the design from the get go,” said Eric. “And once we found out he had a dog and cat, we included them in the design, with their name tags. Koen also made sure we got the details of his farm right, like putting in a Black Angus cow instead of a stereotypical Holstein, and adding a cab on to the tractor.”

Bringing a Wish to Life

The key to a project like this is looking at the canvas we have and asking ourselves, “What else can we do to make this better?” By adjusting to the room and coming up with ideas to make it more immersive, we were able to really bring the project to life.

“There’s nothing we like doing more than working with the client in their space,” said Eric. “That’s where we shine.”

Part of the location included large, structural pillars in the middle of the room. To help create more of a unified space, we covered pillars with corn fields, so as a child enters the room, they feel as if they have stumbled across a real farmyard.

Another critical aspect of the project included the incorporation of three dimensional elements.

Working with Koen, we added in spots where the wall display appears to bump out into a physical element.

A cutout in one of the barn windows features an interactive display from Nanonation, which integrates seamlessly into the design and lets children learn about farming from Koen.

Additional features included a tractor kids can sit in, birds and clouds popping off the wall, and a halo-lit sun that is reminiscent of the sunrise mornings on Koen’s family farm.

These design elements, coupled with the interactive displays, custom coloring book, and free model tractors from Tractor Supply Company for every kid, make the experience immersive and positive for visiting children.

Revealing the Project

Once the project was completed, we had the privilege of being there for the big reveal, and watching Koen light up is what made the project even more special to us.

“There’s not a lot of days like that, ever,” said Eric. “It was cool to be a part of it.”

Koen explored all of the elements of his farm, and had a fun time pointing out all of the little details.

“There’s a stuffed rooster on top of the barn wall, and Koen loved the rooster when we saw it,” said Eric. “He named it ‘Tommy’–instantly–so when the project was done, we got another one and sent it to him.”

In the end, it was more than just creating a farm display or doing usual work for a client, it was about executing a vision to bring Koen’s wish to life.

“It started with a phone call, and turned into this huge thing that’s going to make a difference to kids for years,” said Eric. “That kid is truly amazing.”

wall displays graphico

Custom Wall Displays Create Historical Legacy

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

No matter where you go, every business seems to have the same thing when you go through the front door: a big, empty wall. Some business owners may choose to put a painting or the company’s logo in its place, but there’s more that can be done with such a large canvas.

By adding a custom wall display with the company’s history, you can enhance your company’s image while strengthening connections with your clients, visitors and employees.

The Importance of a Company’s History

Good Sam Cross Display

Every company has a story. Highlighting that history, short or long, is a surefire way to build a brand and create a lasting impression on anyone who comes through your door.

According to Forbes, building trust is becoming increasingly difficult for modern businesses, and maintaining that trust is key to improving your bottom line.

If your organization has been around for a while, detailing its history and business milestones through a timeline or logo evolution can emphasize experience and instill a feeling of trust and excitement in your clients and visitors.

If you’re part of a newer brand or startup, no worries. Many people are excited by new ventures and want to work with companies that are innovative and at the cutting edge of the industry. You can highlight this by showing what your brand’s accomplished in its short time and highlighting the founders’ vision for the future with a mission or purpose statement.

Besides reaching out to visitors and clients, historical wall displays can help boost employee morale by showing an appreciation for the company’s wayfinders and pioneers while inspiring them with a roadmap to the present and the future.

Historical Wall Signage Options

SDSU Daschle Library popup display #2

Printed displays can be done in almost any size, and using some creativity, the HS Sign Shop can come up with a unique historical display that includes features like lights, 3D art, picture frames and whatever else we can dream up.

However we decide to do it, having a museum-style display of your own ambitions and accomplishments will be inviting to newcomers to your business, and inspiring for your regulars.

Our team at the HS Sign Shop is ready to work with you and help you realize your vision for wall signage. We’ve worked on a wide variety of interior and exterior displays, and one of our sign techs would love to talk with you about your display aspirations.

When a Blank Building Becomes Business Signage That Makes a Statement

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

The guys at the HS Sign Shop are used to tackling business signage challenges. They live for it, in fact. When Interstates Companies purchased a new office space in Omaha, they had a blank canvas for custom wall displays and turned to the HS Sign Shop.

HS Sign Shop Makes Ideas Real with Custom Wall Displays

Large Format Specialist Eric Van Beek has a saying he uses a lot. “We take the abstract and make it real. Like, ‘hold it in your hands and hang it on the wall’ real.”

And it’s true. That’s how the HS Sign Shop team approaches every interior space. But in the case of there were A LOT of walls. Van Beek estimates business signage was created for over 70 surfaces.

“It really was just a large series of empty offices and spaces,” says Van Beek. “Interstates is a very forward-thinking and dynamic company. Our challenge was to reflect that.”

The Full Scope of Signage Wall Design

As with most design projects of this scope, there are both functional and inspirational elements.

Everything from the break room to the bathroom needed to be labeled, of course. But, there was also a need for photography, branding, mission and more. The installation took nearly three days and included:

  • Custom designed wall wraps
  • Room signage
  • Column wraps
  • Logo vinyl applications
  • Large format photography
  • Brushed aluminum  artwork
  • Custom dimensional room labels
  • Various other design elements

Design and Installation

It’s one thing to load approximately 2,000 square feet of material into the van and drive south to Omaha. It’s an entirely different thing to plan and design beforehand.

HS team spent weeks preparing for the installation. Their planning included a site visit to see and measure the various spaces. It also included several conceptual and creative meetings.

This is typical of how the HS Sign Shop approaches a job, no matter the scope. It all begins with a lot of conversations and truly working to discover and guide a client’s vision.

Do you need to have a conversation about improving your space and making it a brand showcase? We can do that. And we invite you to check out our other work for inspiration.

View the Full Gallery of the Interstates Project:

A Few Creative Ways to Use Vinyl Wraps and Custom Signage

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

If you’re looking to transform a space, small steps can go a long way..

A blank wall. Your vehicle. A store front.  There are many creative ways to use whatever area you have available.

Some clients come to us with a specific idea in mind.  Others just show up with a space. An area that just “needs something”.  Either way, with our experience, we know the steps to take. Check out some of our favorite creative projects!

Vinyl Signs, Dimensional Displays and More.  Whatever It Takes To Be Transformational.

It’s amazing how design elements big or small can catch the eye or build a brand. All needs, budgets and spaces are different. We work with what you’ve got.

Avera McKennan Foundation Donor Wall

1. Donor Wall Display

A donor wall is a great way to give a special thank you message to donors. With an original display, you’re able to pay a kind tribute to the donors who have given so much.

A boring list of names really doesn’t do the trick. The best donor displays weave in a story about your philanthropic mission, while promoting continued giving in the future. Sometimes a donor will be so moved to see their name as part of a passionate display that they will feel inspired to donate even more.

RV wrap - Winnebago make over after

2. Family RV Motorhome Wrap

Traveling on your next road trip gets even better with a one-of-a-kind camper. With a pop of color and playful design, your RV motorhome is bound to stand out at the campsite.

Life’s a journey. Might as well make the most out of your motorhome away from home. See our vehicle wrap FAQ to get answers on frequently asked questions like how the vinyl wrap process begins, what to do to take care of an RV wrap, and more.

ArtVision Wall Display

3. Reception / Lobby Wall Mural

Our opthamologist client, ArtVision, has a custom wall display that forms to the curved wall seamlessly. This distinctive piece not only functions as a work of art but also portrays their superior vision services.

Give your clientele something to cast their eyes on as soon as they walk into your business. What better way to make a solid first impression than with an exclusive sign true to your brand?

Break Room After

4. Break Room Vinyl Graphics

As a subtle escape from the daily grind, this client has a quote display placed right in the break room.

Team building doesn’t just happen on it’s own. A message like “We rise by lifting others” speaks directly to employees while they’re in a relaxed setting. Talk about being at the right place at the right time.

Small design elements can make a big impact. This one is proof.

pontoon after vinyl wrap

5. Pontoon Vinyl Wrap

The sturdy yet non-intrusive nature of vinyl makes it a great solution for personalizing your boat! This patriotic pontoon wrap makes exploring the open waters even more fun.

Plus, what better decoration could there be for a 4th of July party?

HS Sign Shop Makes Ideas Come to Life

As you can see, the HS Sign Shop has put together custom signage for a variety of purposes. From concept to design to the installation itself, we can make any vinyl wrap or display work for your needs.

Get started by requesting a fast, free quote! We’ll give you information on the process, cost, and anything else you have questions on. Reach out today!

SDSU game day graphics

SDSU College Signage for ESPN College GameDay

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

ESPN Comes to SDSU, HS Helps in a Big Way

It was a historic day for South Dakota State University when College GameDay announced it would be rolling into the Brookings campus. The university, city and entire state were abuzz with anticipation of the ESPN crew and a national television audience.

Preparing for National Television with Custom Displays

South Dakota State University and the Jackrabbit football program were thrilled with the announcement and excited to host. It was College GameDay’s first trip to South Dakota. The popular Saturday morning program had been to Fargo previously to feature North Dakota State University, the Jack’s fierce rival.

Needless to say, SDSU felt the pressure to perform, on the field, and in front of the camera.

GameDay preparations began immediately, as ESPN crew and SDSU staff discussed the schedule of events, logistics, locations and the million other details that come with a nationally televised event.

ESPN and the University choose a location near the historic Coughlin Campanile with the SDSU Foundation Alumni Center in the background. The beautiful Jerome J. Lohr building was a perfect opportunity to showcase the university’s football program. However, the building’s exterior currently was largely a blank canvas.

With the eyes of the country focused on GameDay and South Dakota State, the SDSU Foundation called HS Sign Shop to build something big and memorable for the big day.

500 Square Feet of College Signage for Prime Viewing

The SDSU Foundation wanted to make the space in front of the building a popular spot. They imagined fans and crowds stopping in the front to take selfies and photos in front of the football graphics they envisioned. But the clock was ticking and the large building windows were still blank.

“We were on the phone with SDSU Foundation discussing it on Tuesday,” says HS Sign Shop Specialist Jason Jellis. “They were designed, printed and installed on-site in less than 48 hours.”

Jellis added that the weather cooperated and that fact helped in turning the project quickly. Here are a few fun facts about the signage itself:

  • Full size = 50 feet wide x 9 ½ feet tall
  • Approximately 500 square feet total
  • 12 panels made up the composition
  • High-resolution full color
  • Special perforated window vinyl

Jellis said, “The SDSU Foundation was very appreciative. It’s always great to work with great people.” Jellis and the HS Sign Shop team are always excited to jump on a challenge.

Do you have a challenge of your own? Challenge HS Sign Shop!

Donor Dislpay

Donor Wall Displays Make an Impact for Your Hospital or University

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

A donor display honors those who’ve given to your hospital, university or other institution. The right display pays tribute to the donors who made your endeavor possible. It can also tell a story about your philanthropic mission and promote future giving.

Donor walls should not be an afterthought. Instead, they should be included in your capital campaign planning. Obviously you want them to catch attention. But you also want to engage people to contribute.

They are a great opportunity to express your vision and mission through visual artwork. Take the Avera McKennan Rock Rapids donor wall for example. This installation really created a beautiful visual flow. It is a piece of artwork that demands to be seen.

Avera Merrill Pioneer Hospital Lighted Sign

Your donors want to feel special and you have an obligation to make that happen. Celebrate your donors with a donor recognition display that represents your organization and the capital you raised.

Think Outside the Box When You Create

The HS Sign Shop team enjoys meeting with our clients and exploring the space first. Most of the time it’s a very collaborative process. Our goal is to create a display that is not only functional, but is also a piece of art that fits the environment.

Here’s an example of how it typically works:

Understand the Vision

  • Discuss the scope of the project
  • Understand the campaign and organization
  • Define schedule & deadline
  • Define an overall budget

Create the Design

  • Work with the HS Sign Shop designer
  • Concepting, design and proof out mockup
  • Adjust or approve

Make it a Reality

  • Order materials if necessary
  • Pre-assembly
  • Finishing and installation

It’s vitally important to your business to make sure you’re carrying your entire brand through your building. Every display representing your company should be consistent with your messaging goals.

Whether indoor, or outdoor, we make sure all of your displays align with your environment and entire campaign. Contact us today for ideas, designs and strategies on how to say a very important ‘thanks’ to your very important donors.

Sign Shop Gets Behind Beer and Brewing

By Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

It’s not every day the HS Sign Shop gets to play with beer.

Ben’s Brewing Company changed that. Owner Ben Hanten witnessed the explosion of craft brewing first hand while living in Fort Collins, Colorado. Hanten brought his love of beer and entrepreneurship to Yankton, South Dakota to start his bar and eventually brew his own craft beer line.

Ben’s Gets a Makeover

A popular stop in Yankton for years, Ben’s physical location is historic. It features a hand cranked elevator system that lowers wheat, barley and hops to the basement where the beer is brewed. The main floor is Ben’s bar area and upstairs is a second speakeasy called The Copper Room.

There was just one problem. Most of the beer brand signs and decorations on Ben’s wall were beers he didn’t carry. Ben is a tireless promoter of the local economy and business development. He realized he was missing an opportunity to have Ben’s Brewing Company better reflect the local landmark he already is.

Before:

“There was a great space to work with there, what made it a fun challenge was the fact we had to do it before opening hours, since the bar is open every day of the year.” says HS Sign Shop Large Format Specialist Eric Van Beek.

Eric Van Beek

The Redesign

HS Sign Shop and Ben drew up a plan to rebrand the perimeter walls of the bar. Together, we designed a wrap for roughly 75% of the wall space. Portions of the wall focused on their beer brands, others on seasonal flavors with decorative wrapped clipboards hanging on the wall.

Another area was dedicated to displaying the entire beer brewing process from barley to beverage. Customers could now sit and witness the fun design showing exactly what was going on underneath them in the basement.

After:

Finally, HS Sign Shop tackled the upstairs Copper Room space too. The speakeasy resembles prohibition era bars with a discreet entrance and craft cocktails. To emphasize this hidden vibe, HS wrapped the east wall in Ben’s in a warm brick wrap leading upstairs to The Copper Room. We also gave the upstairs a makeover with a buttoned upholstery pattern in browns, tans and copper featuring graphics of their custom cocktails.  

All in all, the HS work featured over 750 feet of vinyl. That’s a lot of vinyl for a lot of great beer.

To see how HS Sign Shop helps businesses better use their space, check out more of our custom wall wrap work. 

Interstates Wall Mural

How Labels, Decals and Signage Can Improve Efficiency At Your Business

By Business Signage, Wall Wraps & Custom Displays

In business these days it’s important to take advantage of every edge possible. When we think about labels, decals and signage, we often think of the identifying and promotional aspects of them – they can be a great marketing tool to provide basic information about your brand, and getting your name out in the marketplace. We love to come up with creative ways to cover the basics – such as the name of your company, your logo and your location. Our design team is able to come up with a completely new look for your business, if that’s what you need.

But you may not have ever considered how labels, decals and signage can be utilized to improve efficiency amongst your in-house teams. We can develop some innovative ways to increase efficiency, and even inspire your employees!

Walls, Floors & Exteriors

One way you may be able to maximize workflow and direct traffic in your office or production facility is by utilizing floor graphics. Strategic placement of floor decals helps acclimate new employees to your facility, as well as helping guests navigate your space with ease. This is especially relevant for larger factories and facilities.

Large, eye-catching wall graphics can be used to inform your employees of best practices, important new policies, general company information, philosophical musings and inspirational quotes. A work environment that provides a supportive décor enhances engagement and productivity amongst the employees.

Whether you want to label your machinery to take that extra step in the name of safety, or if you want to take your workflow or organizational chart and turn them into a unique art piece that helps keep your team on task, the HS Sign Shop can design and create unique labels, decals and signage that will help your employees be their best.

Equipment & Hazardous Chemicals

If your industry deals in dangerous equipment or hazardous chemicals, you may want to consider going above and beyond the minimum regulatory requirements to maximize your team’s safety. We can enhance and enlarge any required safety labels or we can customize an informative and entertaining way to hammer home the importance of staying safe on the jobsite.

We can create labels and decals that communicate this extremely important information in a memorable manner – for both your team and any subcontractors or visitors you may have on-site. Have you considered labeling your equipment in a way that reminds users about safety and performance issues? It may be time to consider going beyond minimum compliance, especially if your business operates under the auspices of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

If you do work on a dangerous jobsite, you may want to consider signage that speaks to how long its been since the last accident on the job. This works both as a safety message and a motivational message to make sure everyone is working hard, safely, to extend that streak!

Products & Packages

If your business specializes in packaging and shipping operations, you may want to consider assigning colors and designs on delivery trucks, equipment, boxes, walls or floors to help streamline your delivery process. We can print labels and decals that will not only help your sales, but decrease the time it takes for the product to get through the delivery process.

If you’re looking for a way to be able to change your message, pricing or promotional information without a long lead time, temporary signage can be an excellent option to keep your employees in the know and on the same page in a fast moving environment. It’s also a great way to keep your team up to speed and tailor information in an industry where variable data and content are the norm.

The HS Sign Shop is here for any of your label, decal or signage needs. If you don’t have a design you like, our team will create a new one you’ll love. If you already have the design, that’s no problem – we can produce the work and install it for you. Contact us for more ideas on promoting your business and increasing the efficiency of your employees!