Why we cant have nice things in our area.....

[visual800]

From day 1 of the bulldozers pulling onto the property I was already contacting whom I could to get the sign package going. This is a supposed to be a state of the art school, I knew they would need interior, exterior, plaques, and hopefully gymnasium painting.

The first let down was the contractor telling us that all interior signs will be in the division10 category. To you newbies that translates to "the contractor or the architect will handle the signage." I then went after the school board and let them know we could do custom colored interior signage to match their logos as the contractor wont give a damn.

no response from anyone, nobody gave a dam how it would look or turn out. there is absolutely no class left in this area. We have all seen this and will continue to see it but it will destoy over time any creativity inside your being. The lettering is not even centered on the brick. More thought went into the light fixture than the signage itself

Below is a pic of the NEW SIGN in front of the school they ended up with, this just happened to pop up in my newsfeed on facebook. I decided to throw my layout to the side and sent it back to the school board so they could see side by side what they have. No one cares.

 

[visual800]

when we approach a new client we send pics of previous jobs and send a schematic of what we could offer them, such as the layout below. Sometimes it works but a majority of the time they "settle" for such as you see. Often too many times they push me off saying its too early to decide on signage and they will get back to me. I explain that I could be working on designs and we could have this down in time for their opening.

I have had situations where I do this technique and they call 3 days before ribbon cutting and in a panic, I tell them to call someone else, I do not have time for panic as I gave you adequate warning in the beginning for you to arrange your sign designs and install on time.

Its aggravating. The contractor doesnt care, the architect doesnt care as they would rather handle signs for mark up.

 

[jfiscus]

I think it is all about the funds at each individual school district. Most districts around here have ZERO extra to do nice things. But then again, we do work for one school district that must have either struck gold or oil when building their new "campus" as we've done probably 50k+ in signage there over the past few years... and they are still ordering more!

 

[FASTSIGNS]

I hear ya! Signs are always last of the list, if signs make it at all. We are doing a project to remodel a major hotel on the beach. Renovations are in the millions. Signage budget = $0. Contactor keeps apologizing. Can we value engineer the architects design ideas? Yes, since the architect designed impractical signage. Good news is that we designed and manufactured the entire hotel package 6 years ago. Easy to go and change message schedule, floor plans etc. I just won't let the contractor know that. Signs can either add value to the property, customer experience, or brand. More often than that no one cares till customers complain that they can't find their way around. I think the sign industry needs a makeover!

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Great proposal. Terrible decision on their part.

 

[visual800]

my absolute favorite is when a contractor calls for me to install gemini letters. you wanna talk about rape, I rape them hard.

 

[Rick]

The first let down was the contractor telling us that all interior signs will be in the division10 category. To you newbies that translates to "the contractor or the architect will handle the signage."

I don't understand this comment...

Division 10 is only the category that architects and specifiers use for identifying specialties on a project, Signage is one of those specialities. It has nothing to do with who is bidding/fabricating them
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_Divisions

I'm thinking someone else got the job that specializes in that kind of work, bid using the correct procedure, was invited to bid on it from an approved bid list.... the list goes on and on...

By the way, huge difference in what's up and what you designed... I get your frustration.

 

[Pat Whatley]

From day 1 of the bulldozers pulling onto the property I was already contacting whom I could to get the sign package going.

It's the Pike Road School. By day 1 there were so many kickbacks, shady deals, double invoices, and "consulting fees" involved there wasn't any money left for signs. Give it another couple of years and there will be a big LED monstrosity out front that works about half the time.

 

[2B]

Great proposal. Terrible decision on their part.

second that, very clear design and good way to present the difference

 

[visual800]

I don't understand this comment...

Division 10 is only the category that architects and specifiers use for identifying specialties on a project, Signage is one of those specialities. It has nothing to do with who is bidding/fabricating them
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_Divisions

I'm thinking someone else got the job that specializes in that kind of work, bid using the correct procedure, was invited to bid on it from an approved bid list.... the list goes on and on...

By the way, huge difference in what's up and what you designed... I get your frustration.

yes sir i know exactly what divison 10 is they used that as a cataway for me to back off so they could order what they wanted

 

[Rick]

yes sir i know exactly what divison 10 is they used that as a cataway for me to back off so they could order what they wanted

Seems to me that if you have the Division 10 specs, and they listed the manufacturer... and they are a wholesaler... they they are also part of the problem. I'm sure there was no message schedule so the sign fabricator probably did that work too which can be quite extensive.

 

[Baz]

Maybe the contractor is also the kind of shmuck who decides to do everything himself to keep as much money as possible in his pockets.

Why waste it on a sign guy. I can order letters and install them myself.

This happens everywhere.

 

[signfab]

they call 3 days before ribbon cutting and in a panic, I tell them to call someone else, I do not have time for panic as I gave you adequate warning in the beginning for you to arrange your sign designs and install on time.

Is't this de rigueur for our industry?
Here, builders are notorious for running behind schedule, wayfinding signs go up after the painters have been through and they start on the morning of the opening.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

Just to play devil's advocate, it could be that the identification they went with is "standard".
In many school districts in my area, Helvetica (or some other sans serif font) letters on a plain monument structure are what the board is willing to pay for. If the school looks for a nicer sign (and your design is very nice, I think- clean, minimalist, yet still eye catching), it's often the booster club, PTA, or some other entity that's not the school board that pays for it.
You're probably done with pursuing this job, but you might want to reach out to those organizations.
My .02.

 

[John L]

Reach out to that schools principal with your proposal. You're proposal must be the idea of the idea guy (at the school) whether that's the principal or PTA leader. Make it their great idea... You will get that job. Add $600 now for claw hammer removal of the existing. Your's looks great and they want that I assure you.

 

[visual800]

Maybe the contractor is also the kind of shmuck who decides to do everything himself to keep as much money as possible in his pockets.

Why waste it on a sign guy. I can order letters and install them myself.

This happens everywhere.

this is exactly what happens and this is what ticks me off about gemini selling to architects and contrators. architects have no designs skills they have no idea how to brand signage. All they know is duranodic bronze, helvetica and braille. They have no concept of what will finish off a building but yet want to try and design a cutting edge building

 

[visual800]

Just to play devil's advocate, it could be that the identification they went with is "standard".
In many school districts in my area, Helvetica (or some other sans serif font) letters on a plain monument structure are what the board is willing to pay for. If the school looks for a nicer sign (and your design is very nice, I think- clean, minimalist, yet still eye catching), it's often the booster club, PTA, or some other entity that's not the school board that pays for it.
You're probably done with pursuing this job, but you might want to reach out to those organizations.
My .02.

I have already tried, faculty, school board no one cares and im over it.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

I have already tried, faculty, school board no one cares and im over it.

Too bad for them. Maybe the booster club will get tired of the existing, ugly one and contact. Until then, it's probably best to just say "whatever".