It is often said that “the first impression is the last impression”.
This holds for lobby signs since they are the first thing someone sees upon arriving at your premises.
Whether you run a publishing company or a patisserie, a lobby sign is a must for making a long-lasting first impression on your visitors. It is an indirect way of portraying the quality and the ethos of your business.
Some companies understand this better than others, and today, we’ll show you some of the best examples from all over. These are featured because they understood the importance of having a lobby sign and other insignia in the premises as well as outside.
We’ve featured a wide variety of signs to show which kinds of signs work best, and where they work best. So, let’s get started, shall we?
8 Epic Examples of Businesses Lobby Signs
Boeing| A Case Study in Metallic 3D Lettering
3D letters have been used for a long when it comes to lobby signs. 3D lettering has a unique, tangible feel to it as well. This also signifies strength and robustness if you go in for metal, which is exactly why Boeing has been doing it for a long. As a company manufacturing airplanes, the first thing that you want to be reflected to anybody who walks in through your doors is quality, strength, and peace of mind.
Acrylic lettering would not have created the same effect, though it would work well for businesses that deal with services and not tangible products. If your business is more tactile, a custom channel letter sign is the way to go. However, this doesn’t work for 3D letters that need to be lit or are positioned outdoors – acrylic is the only option there.
Liftique| Acrylic Standoff Signs
Image via frontsigns.com
Acrylic shines, quite literally, when put to its best use. Specifically, acrylic standoff signs with lettering and designing done in your material of choice give off a sense of lightness, but with considerable depth as well – if required. A great example of this is Liftique, who have used their acrylic standoff sign to great use.
Acrylic signs take the robustness of a metallic (usually aluminum) signage which is then accentuated by the lightness of the acrylic backdrop. Further, you can incorporate lighting elements at the back, which can give emphasis to your logo or serve as a contrast. You could also use some negative space by adding lights to a dark logo.
When working with acrylic signs, you should take care of where the mountings go. Mountings can be positioned in several ways, generally on 4 or 2 corners. Mountings are generally kept on 4 corners, with spacing from the edges being large enough to keep the acrylic material safe. Otherwise, they can also be mounted on 2 sides depending on the size. Too many mountings for small signs are generally overkill, so pay attention to those before you get an acrylic standoff sign. Plaques and wayfinding signs can also be finished using acrylic standoffs, which make for a wonderful use of empty wall space.
Airbnb| A Wonderful Use of Canvas/Wall Clusters
Image via refinery29
Airbnb does a great job at using wall clusters to the greatest extent. Airbnb is primarily a travel company, and as such, should give a minimal and light vibe. The use of white canvas and wall clusters has been maximized to cover the entire wall, which serves as constant inspiration to the design team that uses the room.
Wall clusters are often seen as an unconventional choice, particularly when it comes to designing office spaces. Though not for everyone, if you want your office space to signify airiness and artisanship at the same time, wall clusters give you the perfect opportunity to do so.
Further, if you run an art-related business or an architecture firm, these can serve as a wonderful way to display your best work! This gives you a unique way to let your potential customers know the quality of your work, especially if they haven’t experienced it beforehand.
For those gunning for minimalism and overall lightness, a wall cluster looks like Airbnb’s is the way to go.
Friedman Dentistry| Brushed Aluminium Signs for Maximum Impact
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Brushed aluminum signs are very common as well – and make for good foregrounds to introduce lighting elements within. This is a restrained, yet effective look – perfect for businesses that involve fine work, such as Friedman Dentistry. They’ve used the brushed aluminum look to incorporate lighting elements, which fill up space very well too.
Brushed aluminum signs, plaques, and staff boards instantly upgrade your office’s aesthetic to a more professional and restrained workspace. It’s not painted or touched in any way besides brushing, which gives it a more natural and robust metallic look. Further, brushed aluminum is a much longer-lasting material than steel, while giving you the same metallic finish.
Wall Decals| A Different Take on Lobby Signs
Wall decals are a wonderful means to express your company’s vision and motto. Wall decals are also less permanent and a much more accessible way to get your message across. They also tend to grab a lot of attention, since they give off a radically different aesthetic feel compared to regular signs.
This is recommended for those businesses that are new, and younger, and for whom giving off a youthful, fresh, and lively vibe is essential. Software businesses, startups, and other new businesses should use these as a way to brighten up drab office walls, imagine how impactful would that be a basement office. This is often done using thought-inducing graphics and quotes on the walls as constant inspiration, though this is the perfect way to express your creativity.
Image via compostabile.info
Here, we see a restaurant business highlighting its vision and core values through an eye-catching, yet not overly bold wall decal.
These can just as easily be used as a lobby sign for your company – it will leave a longer-lasting impression than a simpler lobby sign. However, you should not go overboard with wall decals. If you have a business that has been running for a long time, we suggest going for more traditional lobby signs. Wooden lobby signs are best for that traditional look, although not the most popular choice.
Going Digital| The Future’s Lobby Signs are Beckoning
Moving away from static signs which can at most have changing lighting colors or holographic effects, we come to the latest that this industry has to offer. Digital sign boards that incorporate dynamic elements or full-fledged TV screens give you much more control over what you display, so you have many more avenues to express.
Image via enplug.com
Further, touch-enabled and augmented reality interfaces can add another dimension to your work, where visitors can interact with your work in real time, giving them a first-hand impression. The ARH Medical Mall gives users a great way to navigate through their office, as well as provide information about the place.
Image via innerfacesign.com
You can show the logo, your most important product(s), and much more on digital signboards. Further, you can regularly keep updating the content – showing off your latest work just became a lot easier with the coming of digital signs. Lobby signs can be made to do much more if they’re digital – you can show them relevant web content too!
Televisions are relatively inexpensive, especially those that are meant for use as a display board. Hence, if your business relies heavily on showing photos and videos of your work, the humble TV can work wonders in convincing first-time visitors of the quality of work your business provides.
Wood Makes for an Antique and Dignified Lobby Sign
If you run a hardware or construction-related business, a wooden lobby sign will be perfect for your office. The other equally befitting use case is horticulture or natural products. A wooden lobby sign will concretely signify what your brand stands for and give off a robust, long-lasting vibe.
Image via graindesigns.com
Cosmic Eye Brewing’s rendered sign lends itself to a rustic and homely feel which also incorporates its logo. You can just as easily create a homely and long-lasting feeling in your entire workspace with the simple addition of a wooden sign, so go ahead!
Vinyl Lettering| The Minimalist’s Take on the Lobby Sign
On the other end of the wooden signs is a minimal take on the lobby sign. Here, we see 3D lettering in the lobby of Nextgen’s office which incorporates many design elements in the lettering but is not as in-your-face or garish as many vinyl signs can be.
Image via bigmouthsigns.com
If you’re part of a newer business willing to give your office space a new identity, consider going in for vinyl, since this is a much more restrained thinking towards design. Vinyl graphics are easily one of the more subtle ways to change the look of your office. Further, you can use vinyl graphics outside the office too, for street signs and much more.
After looking at several businesses that have used a large variety of office signs that take their businesses further, you can appreciate the importance of a great lobby sign.
The kind of lobby sign you go in for sets the vibe of the employees who work there day after day as well as potential customers. Your sign might end up making a great impression on your future customers, so pay close attention to it!
