Signage as a brand message

Signage for a building, a living space, a neighborhood or even a city is much more than an orientation tool. It conveys the spirit of a living space. Because every environment brings up emotions and contributes to the perception that the occasional or regular visitor has of the brand that signs the place.

From function to discourse

The primary functions of signage are to orient, to guide, to inform and to reassure. In order to meet these objectives, we will therefore study the type of visitors or users, the flow and positioning of information, the structures and architectural choices as well as the functions and accesses of the various spaces.

But while these requirements primarily respond to practical expectations or standards (e.g. height, size, color, lighting information elements to increase accessiblity for the visually impaired and/or raising some of them to improve their safety), signage also contributes to the feelings and even emotions induced by any meeting place, activity or experience. Through the choice of materials, typography and visual language, signage creates a brand’s own environment and accompanies its communication strategy and message.

Turning space into a brand language

So, while reflection requires a close partnership with the architects and urban planners who designed the architecture of a location, it is also important to take into account the spirit of the brand and its tone of expression. Because beyond the functional and practical aspects, environmental design creates an atmosphere and conveys values. From parking lots to meeting rooms, from reception areas to offices, from a store to another, from relaxation areas to cafeterias, signage accompanies occasional visitors, regular users and employees alike. It is therefore an essential factor in both their well-being and their brand experience.

When signage integrates storytelling

Both integrating “insect hotels” into totems and enriching formal indications with lighting effects in keeping with the spirit of the architecture are exemples that give signage a special story. In this way, fixed elements come to life, creating a form of dialogue with each visitor, sharing a story with them, echoing the environment of an encounter with a brand.

Signage thus conveys emotions. It partly determines the visitor’s first impression of your company or business. It plays an important role in how your visitors feel, but also the atmosphere you offer to your employees and the common vision you share with them. Space becomes a genuine brand language, one of its expressions, telling a story and becoming a form of signature.

From signage to awakening the senses

We could also extend and densify the way we think about signage. As a brand image factor, signage can also be supported by creating an olfactory environment. The scent of a place is also part of the sensorial experience it can offer. The smell of a parking lot, for example, contributes to the first impressions of a place (and therefore of the brand that welcomes you). The world of sound, even touch (a parquet floor, waxed concrete or carpet do not express the same thing and do not evoke the same impression). Thus, signage, beyond its primary function and formal aspects, is part of a more global reflection, giving visitors a richer field of perception, developing a real storytelling and forming a real brand discourse.