Using Statement Signage and Lighting to Create a Community Landmark
Statement signage says a lot about your business and your brand. But when used in the right way, it can also say a lot about your community. Signs can become community landmarks, guiding residents and visitors around the city and landing in promotional materials for tourism and commercial expansion.
These community landmark signs don’t happen by accident. Let’s look at what statement signage is and how you can use lighting and signage design to create a community landmark of your own.
What Does It Mean to Be a Community Landmark?
A community landmark is used by all types of people within a town or neighborhood. It is something that every resident knows where it is, even if they have never specifically visited the landmark before. The community landmark defines a neighborhood. It is often photographed for local and national media coverage as a unique factor that identifies the people who live there.
For example, the Tampa Theatre is often associated with the city due to its unique illuminated signage that is reminiscent of a bygone era. The community landmark is often photographed by locals and visitors, used to give directions, and widely recognized by residents and visitors alike.
You Can Create a Community Landmark With Statement Signage
You have the ability to create a landmark sign by choosing engaging designs and unique lighting that stand out. To give you some ideas, let’s look at some examples of statement custom exterior signage across Florida. Many of them have only popped up within the past few years, and we have helped many of these statement signs come to life.
One of the most recent examples of newly-created community landmarks is the signage at Tampa’s Sparkman Wharf. Each of the ten unique restaurant concepts has its own signage, creating ten works of art within a small area. This makes the wharf an incredibly photogenic area in Tampa. The bright colors attract people of all ages and many of the restaurants have become Instagram icons. When you see photos of Sparkman Wharf, you think of Tampa.
The David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts also needed signage to help the building serve as a community landmark. By illuminating the channel letters and adding stars around the name, we were able to make the Straz Center visible from across the river at the University of Tampa and from the passing interstate. Not only does this visibility help people navigate around the city, but it also lights up the night to create photo opportunities for theatre-goers.
Rounding out our list of examples is the Fox 13 Skytower. This local news channel wanted to employ energy-efficient LED uplighting to make the tower visible at night. By adding lighting to this three-sided tower, standing 150-feet tall, residents can see it from down the street – and are more likely to remember the name of that news channel over others in the area.
How to Use Signage and Lighting to Stand Out
Community landmarks like Sparkman Wharf don’t pop up overnight. They take careful planning and strategy.
Check out a few elements of design that we play with when designing statement signage for our clients.
- Illuminate your sign. Bright lights at night are easy to see and are ideal for photography. If you are near a body of water, use lighting solutions to light up the lake or river. The bright lights from your signage hitting the waves can create an irresistible photo opportunity.
- Use unique colors or designs. If you want to get noticed then you need to be different. Choose unique colors, designs, slogans, or other elements that you don’t see in signage around your area. The last thing you want when creating statement signage is to blend in.
- Change the colors of your lights. Do you want to be the next Empire State Building in your town? Consider investing in lights that change colors for the holidays or to support local sports teams.
- Pull in elements of the community. Tap into local pride with icons from the neighborhood or city. This could mean adding flamingos or tropical flowers if you are designing signs in South Florida or using the green benches of St. Petersburg in Tampa Bay. People will want to reference the sign because it shows what living in the city means to them.
- Build around architectural elements. Use the existing building that you operate in to design your signage. This could mean placing the sign on your roof or opting for a vertical design that goes along the side of your building. You may be able to make your whole building a landmark, not just your sign.
- Go big or go home. Invest in a size that is larger than you might otherwise use. The reason why so many people take pictures of the Portland, Oregon White Stag sign is because it is so large and prominent. Most people forget that the sign originally read White Satin Sugar and then White Stag Sportswear as the owners of the building changed hands.
You may only need to play with a few of these elements to get the design you want. A few lighting changes and unique colors might create the statement signage you are looking for.
Get Creative With Your Statement Signage
Building a community landmark means breaking out of signage expectations. You need to come up with creative colors, designs, and sizing that aren’t seen anywhere else in your area. When done well, your statement signage could become the next big piece to get featured in your city. It can also drive customers to your business.
If you want to develop statement signage and become a community landmark, reach out to Creative Sign Designs. Request a free consultation and we can brainstorm design build ideas to create something unique that really stands out.
