At Goodson Signs we have many great design and art services to benefit you and your organization. For those who are of the mind to do it themselves we offer the following advice:

IMAGE
Your signs are likely to set the first impression your customer / client receives of your organization. Proper planning and follow through will see that it is a good one. Decide what image you wish to project with your signs. Consider your business, product and / or service. How do you wish to portray it. Signs present the image of classy, new, refined, established, affordable, exciting, official, professional, cheap, trendy, cheesy, self-starter, high quality, poor quality, and many others depending on how they are designed, produced, and installed. It will be important for you to decide what image you want to give before you design the signs.

SURROUNDINGS
You will also need to establish where you expect the sign to be displayed. For a sign to be effective you must take its surroundings into consideration. How will it fit in? Will it get enough attention? Will it get too much?

PURPOSE
Consider the purpose of the sign. Is it meant for identification, advertising, instruction, direction, motivation, decoration, or otherwise? This must be decided before you continue designing.

LOGO
A professional logo will do more to extablish & strengthen your identity than anything else. Let us design a professional logo for you. Make your logo an appropriate size to meet your purpose and avoid using it more than once on the sign.

SIZE
The sign must be large enough to be read effectively. Make lettering and graphics big enough to have the desired effect at the distance the sign will be read from. See (Readability Index)

CONTENT
Keep your information to an effective minimum. Keep it simple and clear. Put too much on a sign and people won't read it. The most effective signs are easy to understand and recognize.

FONTS
Varying font types adds visual interest. Avoid using too many. (3 Max.)

BALANCE
Make the most important name, heading or statement large. Make the next most important medium sized. All other information should be smaller.

COLOR
Color should be used to reinforce your image and the purpose of your sign. Colors create a mood so be careful how you use them. Be creative. Using the same colors as everyone else will cause your sign to blend in and loose emphasis. Vibrant colors grab attention. Dark colors convey stability and seriousness. Cool colors invoke peace. Contrasting colors (light and dark) increase the range of visibility. Full color images add interest.

SPACING
Do not run graphics or text out to the edge of the sign. Leaving adequate margins and spacing in your layout will make the sign easier to read.

SHAPE
Signs can be made in any shape. They do not have to be rectangular. Varying the shape will add interest and dynamics.

DEPTH
Dimension adds beauty and dynamics to your design. We can bend, carve, route, blast, or layer materials to play with light and shadow and add depth to your sign.

MATERIAL
There are many wonderful materials available. We can help you choose a material which is best for your needs. The major considerations are: Fabrication, length of use, exposure to elements, weight, texture, cost, application, flammability, etc...

CONSISTENCY
Your signage should easily be recognizable as yours. Always use the same letter styles and colors in your name and logo. It is important to establish a visual identity by which you can be recognized. Your image should be crisp clean and professional. This should be reflected in your main signs, door, and window lettering, vehicles, web site, business cards, stationery, invoices, and etc. Printed paper materials may only be a one color print, but the look and design should be consistent with your image.