ARCHIVE: Category Archive for: Original Posts

Signs of Sophistication

When clients or investors walk into your corporate office space, are they getting the right first impression? Researchers have found that an office’s interior environment can create lasting beliefs about a company’s culture, including how considerate the staff is and how much control the leaders have over what happens at the office. That’s why we’ve cultivated expertise in a wide range of higher-end interior environmental graphics packages. Here are a few examples from our portfolio. Floating Illuminated Logos Hudl is a tech company that provides tools for professional athletes and coaches to review and analyze footage of their games. They wanted the interior of their office to be exciting, fresh, and distinctive. We provided an interior signage package for them

Have you ever walked into a space and been surrounded by bold, larger-than-life graphics on the walls, floors, ceilings, and even columns? For example, you might have seen a restaurant’s tantalizing morsels emblazoned on the wall, making you even hungrier before you’ve ordered. Alternatively, perhaps you’ve seen a colorful, digitally printed mural that made you pause and take in the sights while walking through a retail store, office, or transit space. You’ve probably also seen a floor-to-ceiling sign that made it effortless for you to navigate an unfamiliar building. In all these cases, what you were experiencing is called “environmental graphic design.” It’s a growing trend in corporate spaces as well as entertainment, hospitality, education, and transit buildings. These graphics

We’re excited to share that we won both the silver and bronze medals in the 2019 Best Original Design and Fabrication, Non-Illuminated competition adjudicated by the high-profile industry publication Signs Of The Times. Here are the visuals for our two winning projects, plus a look behind the curtain at how they came to be. Second-Place Award: Interior Graphics for Dynatrace, Inc. Dynatrace is a global software company that celebrated its IPO in 2019. At their corporate headquarters in Waltham, MA, the team is known for having a love of sports. So, at the start of a new phase of their growth as a company, Dynatrace decided to jazz up their headquarters with sports-themed decor that the team would enjoy seeing

If you ask any member of our team about the most exciting part of our work, you’ll likely get the same answer: Every project is unique. There’s never a cookie-cutter solution—and that’s where we get our inspiration. Recently, the design team at the real estate development company Related Beal approached us with one such challenge. In this case, the city of Boston had asked the luxury rental company to place wayfinding signs in strategic locations on Boston’s waterfront. The signs needed to help pedestrians navigate the bustling waterfront where the company’s Lovejoy Wharf property is located while complying with city, district, and environmental codes. Mapping Walking Traffic The first challenge was to identify the most elegant positioning for the signs

“I passed a new place and it looks pretty cool. We should try it.” How many times has a friend said this? You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can gather a really favorable first impression from the outside of an eatery. Is it fun or fancy? Healthy or heart attack? Exterior design can be the first draw, even before the menu is posted. That was the case with a recent Metro Sign & Awning project. Prior to Grainmaker opening a second location at 248 Elm Street in Somerville (the first one was at 91 Summer Street in Boston), owner Chris Freeman contacted us. Things were taking off for the young entrepreneur and he wanted to maintain

In May we were helping brand the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS) non-profit canine center just in time for their grand opening. And speaking of furry, four-legged friends, most of the signs you see around a lion’s living quarters say “Beware” or “Danger.” Our client, The Ecotarium Museum of Science and Nature, wanted just the opposite: a warm, inviting archway to welcome visitors to their new wildcat exhibit. We did not disappoint! A Pet Project The NEADS non-profit canine center in Princeton, Massachusetts, provides dogs for the deaf, disabled, veterans, children with autism, classrooms, hospitals, courthouses, mental health practices, ministries and prisons. Their puppies are provided by breeders and animal shelter rescues around the country. When they came

The Briar Group, one of our long-term customers, was looking to open a new restaurant and bar featuring live music at Patriot’s Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. We were thrilled to be called on for this challenging new venture, Six String Grill & Stage. They requested production, design and installation services from us based on conceptual layouts. One wrinkle was that the original as-built building drawings were no longer available. However, we were able to collaborate with several of the original stakeholders to fully grasp the desired look and design specs. With a few engineering challenges and a short lead time, this ended up being an exciting project we won’t soon forget. Creating the “Wow” Factor The Briar Group’s design firm,

The sign outside your business is the first representation of your company, and in many cases, it’s the first impression customers get of your company. Having an old and worn sign with random burned out bulbs isn’t the best way to make a good first impression. Retrofit LEDs can improve energy efficiency, reduce service and maintenance, and have a longer lifespan. If you’re ready to give your sign a fresh look, consider retrofit LEDs. These retrofit LEDs are different from regular LED light fixtures, since they can utilize existing light fixtures and sockets. Here are some of the other unique benefits they offer. Improved Energy Efficiency, Reduced Service and Maintenance Compared to traditional light bulbs, retrofit LEDs can consume on

Interior signage plays a key role in providing functional and branded designs to your building. Whether they are there to provide navigation, safety or just to show your brand’s personality, they are an important element for your business. Signs that are mandatory can be compliant, while also showcasing your branding design elements. It is best practice for interior signage to be consistent with the rest of the built environment. At Metro Sign & Awning, we know how to develop the right interior signage with the highest quality materials that will perform well and last long all while respecting your time frame and budget. Branding Almost 86% of consumers believe that signs convey the personality or character of a business. Generally,

Here in New England, we live with the extremes: from the cold and wind of Nor’easters to the heat and glaring sun of the summer These weather extremes are an excellent reason why awnings and enclosures can be so valuable: reduce your energy costs and save you money. When calculating the return on investment for awnings or enclosures though, in addition to this reduction in costs, there is an even bigger benefit: they increase your revenue by increasing your selling space. Read on to learn how. Enclosures Grow Revenue and Brand All Year We help many businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and stores, by creating enclosures that help provide weatherproofing to their outdoor areas. The enclosures can aid in increasing