Flashy does not get you sales

I found myself wondering about jewelry stores last night when I walked by this one store in St. Petersburg that displayed beautiful work set off by "SALE SALE SALE" signs, strobe lights and "everything marked down 25%!" signs. The only thing missing was one of these hideous things.

Somehow their use of signs and graphics didn't fit.

Isn't jewelry a luxury item? In my mind, it is reserved for those that WANT to spend lots of money on rare gems. If this store is trying so hard to get anyone's attention, what are they really selling? Maybe their rocks aren't so rare after all.

When you run a business, it is hard for you to look at marketing that business objectively. You become too attached. Smart marketers are unattached and hire a creative professional to handle their design and marketing. They also listen to them.

©2009 David Scott | Cosmic: Advertising & Design

A sign that banks are in trouble?

Saw this sign outside a Suntrust Bank the other day. I'm not sure if they have left the marketing up to a 15 year old cheerleader or whether they are cutting back on expenses altogether.

As cute as this handwritten sign may be, it's not the kind of image you want to present in the marketplace. Not now. Not ever. Especially if you are a bank.

Before you think it is a good idea, ask yourself if it is good marketing.

©2008 David Scott | Cosmic: Graphic Design & Branding

Finding Your Way (Part 2)

Sign makers make signs. Printers put ink on paper. While they are important partners within your marketing team, most do not provide quality design services. Many companies try to avoid paying designer fees by going straight to the end producer. This is a big mistake.


Take the sign shown above for example. This sign was probably designed by the sign maker or maybe even the client. While the sign itself may be a solid, weather-resistant product, it is confusing to the viewer and a waste of money. Why? Because most sign makers make signs and are not designers. For the most part, they do not understand the complexities of the human brain and how people respond to certain graphical elements.

This could be improved through a simple adjustment of elements to become a readable way finding system.

Your business' image is important and of course I'm biased about that, but ultimately everything you do impacts how customer's view your company. If you are out there planting confusing sign work what does that say about your company? What does that say about the person running it?

©2008 David Scott | Cosmic: Graphic Design & Branding

Finding Your Way

This has got to be one of the neatest use of sign design I have seen. This is a way finding system for Eureka Car park in Germany. When standing in the right spot, the words seem to float in mid air right in front of you.

Image: Copyright Axel Peemoeller.

©2008 David Scott | Cosmic: Graphic Design & Branding