40 Open Signage

Here are more research from the previous theme that I was exploring (OPEN (business signage)). 

From what I have gathered, generally corner shops tend to have the LED/neon red and blue signage. Neon/LED signage is much more popular than plastic of paper signage for corner shops because of the shop environment in my opinion. Corner shops have a more rugged appearance and tight space and is often privately/family owned therefore regular customers can be recognised. In addition, corner shops also have a small stock supply therefore prices are generally higher which in turn makes them open for longer hours or some 'open all hours' , thus may be the need for bright and bold neon/led signs in order to attract customers late at night or keep the shop looking 'alive' at the dead of the night. As for the design of the signage (red, blue' often a soft capital serif font or san serif); signs like these are readily available to buy online therefore it might be easier for corner shop to buy these rather that have one custom made, as bringing in more customers is much more important than typography details to fit the aesthetic of the shop. Also, I think this may be why lots of corner shops that I found had very similar or the same signages because of the same reason.

On the other hand, I also found some odd LED/neon signs from other shops/business e.g. a Casino/betting business, however I think it's only fitting for this kind of business, although I think it serves a different purpose. In my opinion, particularly the colours portrays excitement and the energetic and wild atmosphere that these business may have.

Upon coming back to Leeds, I found much more unique and different signage as I expected.  I don't know if I can call this a theme, but I found two ways signage in shops in Leeds is shown. Firstly, open signage in quaint (often coffee shops or quiet 'hidden traditional shops') in Leeds tended to be quite artistic and often fits the aesthetic of the shop. They tended to use wooden material and hand written typography or hand painted type. These shops also often to be situated together and are very bright and colourful much like the shops you'll see in the countryside; which I think added to why they all had similar approach the signage. Using hand written signage adds a homely feel to the shop which I think is quite effective as it gives off a feel of a close knit community of shops and loyal customers. I think it's also communicative not only of what the shop is selling but also of the type of service the shops want to provide to the customers as often hand written types connote softer, calm atmospheres as well as tradition and history making them look more authentic and real in the customer's point of view.

Contrarily, more modern and contemporary restaurants and shops carry a different aesthetic on their open signages. These shops used neutral san serif fonts similar to Helvetica and Arial (or soft serif fonts) but against on a wooden material. This may be a way of establishing a more chic vibe to the shop without being too generic and too traditional that it doesn't go very well with the shop. Neutral and paler tones of colour are often the theme of these shops, therefore usage of subtle typography may be effective and it complements the atmosphere of the shops well. I think the usage of the wooden material makes so much of a difference for these shops; as I do think it gives of the trendy 'nature' youthful feel that they try and bring out (I think often these days you'll see these 'trendy arty shops around a lot). Similar, to the quaint shops in Leeds, these trendy shops may also have a steady influx of loyal customers, with the difference that they are much more younger, contemporary and have similar likes and interest which suits the atmosphere of the shop (sometimes I think even the customers define what kind of shop it is, as most customers seem to be in the same wavelength with similar styles and vibes).

The colours used in for the signages are pretty varied which I think may be because they needed to be complementary to the overall colour scheme of the shop. Though it is a small detail it still needs to be considered as it's one of the first things potential customers will see when they walk past. Also the type of materials used is also in relation the shop aesthetic and its purpose e.g. LED lights in the corner shops.

Overall, I think that I've gathered a good selection of images which I've managed to categorised so that it'll be much easier for me in the future when looking and showing my ideas for crits and presentations.

Other thoughts:

• I did wonder why there weren't any dynamic signage because I thought they'd be more eye-catching and attractive to customers, however, as I looked deeper, researched and thought about it more it's actually not as convenient because customers only have a few seconds to look at the sign as they walk past, therefore moving signs isn't going to be as effective nor communicative as static ones.
• I know this is a 'type in context' brief but am I going on about too much? Am I straying away from it a bit?