How we create signage

Creating a signage system, for SB\Design, means working simultaneously in two worlds: visual language and the physical space in which that language will exist. Signage needs to inform, guide and organize, but it also needs to belong to its environment, respecting its architecture, scale, materials, flows and identity. This is why we do not understand signage simply as a collection of signs. It is a spatial communication system designed to help people understand where they are, where they need to go and how they should move, while reinforcing the personality of the place.

This work can happen in completely different environments. A park, residential development, club, real estate project, university, hospital or urban area has very different needs from a corporate floor, hotel, shopping center, supermarket or store. In open spaces, we need to consider long distances, weather conditions, natural light, vegetation, architecture, vehicle and pedestrian circulation, material resistance and visibility at different times of day. Indoors, reading happens at other scales, with shorter distances, more concentrated flows, interference from architecture, furniture and lighting, and a much closer relationship between people and the information support. In both cases, the principle is the same: signage needs to work first and, at the same time, contribute to the visual and spatial quality of the environment.

At SB\Design, the process begins with understanding the space. Before designing a sign, we need to understand how people arrive, where they come from, where they are going, where they stop, where they become confused, what the main decision points are and what information they actually need to receive throughout the journey. This requires spatial interpretation. Floor plans, flows, access points, routes, entrances, exits, elevators, stairs, parking areas, common spaces, restricted areas and service zones need to be analyzed as parts of a single system. Often, the best signage is not the one that adds more information to the environment, but the one that organizes the journey so clearly that fewer signs are needed.

Signage is therefore also information architecture. Hierarchies, nomenclature, codes, messages, sequences and levels of priority need to be defined. A person entering a building does not need to receive all the information at once. They need to receive the right information at the right moment. First, understand where they are; then, which direction to follow; then, confirm that they are on the right path; and finally, recognize that they have reached their destination. When this sequence works, the experience feels intuitive. When it does not, the space becomes confusing even if the signage is visually beautiful.

Scale is one of the most important aspects of the project. A message read from two meters away needs to be designed differently from one that will be seen from fifty meters. Letter size, contrast, installation height, approach speed, reading distance and amount of information need to be considered together. A pedestrian sign follows a different logic from signage perceived by someone inside a moving vehicle. A room number can be subtle and close to the architecture; an exit, access or parking indication needs to be identified quickly. Understanding scale means designing not only the object, but the relationship between object, space and observer.

The field of vision also needs to be considered with precision. Signage does not exist in a perfectly frontal graphic presentation. It will be seen from the side, from below, in movement, partially obscured by people, trees, furniture, products or architectural elements. It may be viewed during the day, at night, under intense light or in areas of shadow. It may exist in a narrow corridor or an open plaza. For this reason, we test location, height, orientation, angle, contrast and presence within the environment before defining a final solution. The question is not simply, “Does the sign look good?” but rather, “Can it be found exactly when someone needs it?”

Visual identity is another fundamental layer. Good signage should belong to the brand and the place without competing with either. Typography, color, iconography, proportions, forms and graphic elements may emerge directly from the existing identity or be developed as an extension of it. In some projects, signage may be extremely discreet, allowing the architecture to take the lead. In others, it can become one of the main expressions of the environment’s personality. What matters is that the decision is coherent. We do not believe in simply placing a company logo on a sign. The objective is to translate the principles of the identity into a spatial language.

Typography carries a particularly important responsibility. In signage, it needs to have personality, but above all, legibility. We need to evaluate character construction, contrast, weight, spacing, readability at different distances and behavior across different materials and production systems. A typeface that works perfectly in a campaign or on a website may not perform well when cut from metal, applied in vinyl, illuminated or viewed from dozens of meters away. In bilingual or multilingual systems, complexity increases further because hierarchy and legibility need to remain clear even with a greater volume of information.

The same applies to iconography. Symbols need to be quickly recognized, consistent and culturally understandable. Restrooms, elevators, accessibility, circulation, parking, services and many other types of information may depend on icons. The challenge is to build a system that feels distinctive without sacrificing understanding. In signage, originality cannot work against clarity.

Materials are part of the design from the very beginning. Metal, aluminum, steel, wood, glass, acrylic, stone, concrete, paint, vinyl, screens, lighting and different construction systems each offer specific possibilities and limitations. The choice should not be made based on appearance alone. Durability, maintenance, weather resistance, exposure to sun and rain, cleaning, vandalism, information replacement, regional availability, cost and production capacity all need to be considered. A solution for an outdoor park exposed to the elements needs to be conceived very differently from an interior office signage system.

It is in this relationship between design and material that the project begins to take on a three-dimensional dimension. Thicknesses, offsets, fixings, structures, bases, fittings, shadows, transparency, lighting and the relationship with walls, floors, ceilings and landscape need to be studied. Signage can be painted directly onto a surface, suspended, freestanding, embedded, illuminated, projected into space or integrated into the architecture itself. Each solution affects both how the information is perceived and the presence the system will have in the environment.

Light also needs to be considered. In some spaces, signage depends completely on existing lighting; in others, it requires its own illumination. There are situations in which contrast and materiality work perfectly during the day and disappear at night. Some surfaces reflect excessively, some letterforms generate shadows that make reading difficult, and certain finishes behave completely differently depending on the angle of the light. These issues need to be solved before production, not after installation.

Creating signage also means understanding accessibility. Guiding people through a space cannot be designed only for an ideal user. Different visual, motor and cognitive abilities need to be considered within the system, as well as mounting heights, contrast, accessible routes and, when necessary, tactile resources and other complementary forms of information. Truly effective signage is signage that increases people’s autonomy within a space.

In larger projects, the system needs to be able to grow and change. Environments are alive. Rooms change function, companies move floors, stores are replaced, departments are reorganized and new areas emerge. Whenever possible, we therefore seek to create modular and updatable systems, avoiding situations in which every change requires rebuilding an entire piece. This capacity for maintenance is an important part of the project and also helps reduce costs and waste over time.

Prototyping is fundamental. Signage that looks correct at reduced scale can become completely different once produced at full size. For this reason, we test proportion, text size, height, material, color and location whenever the project requires it. Many decisions can only be properly evaluated in the actual space. A temporary prototype installed on site can reveal in minutes problems that a digital presentation would never show.

In this type of work, having excellent partners is essential. Signage involves design, architecture, engineering, graphic production, metalwork, woodworking, lighting, electrical systems, structures, painting, transportation, installation and maintenance. SB\Design understands that the final quality depends on the integration of these specialties. Working with experienced suppliers and installers at the right stages of the project allows us to test feasibility, anticipate problems and transform a graphic intention into a well-built object.

Installation is part of the design. A perfectly designed sign can fail if it is positioned a few centimeters incorrectly, if its fixing system is poorly resolved, if the height is inadequate or if the finish does not correspond to what was specified. For this reason, in more complex projects, production and installation follow-up is fundamental. The design needs to survive the journey from screen to factory to real space.

For SB\Design, it is also important that signage does not create unnecessary visual noise. Many environments accumulate signs over the years until they become a disorganized collection of information, styles, colors and materials. One of the roles of the project is to eliminate excess, consolidate messages and create order. The better the logic of the system, the less need there tends to be for repeated information.

Good signage has an interesting quality: when it works perfectly, it is often barely perceived as signage at all. People simply find their way naturally. They experience the environment as clear, organized and easy to use without necessarily identifying the system that made that experience possible. At the same time, when observed closely, signage can be beautiful, sophisticated and inspiring, becoming part of the personality of the place.

It is within this balance that SB\Design seeks to work. Function and expression do not need to be opposites. A sign can indicate a direction with absolute clarity and still possess presence, materiality and graphic quality. A number can fulfill a purely objective function and at the same time become an architectural element. An entire system can help someone navigate while simultaneously reinforcing the identity of a club, residential development, park, office, hotel, supermarket or real estate project.

At SB\Design, directed by Sandro Bianco, we understand signage as a discipline that integrates visual identity, architecture, information and experience. It requires graphic vision, but also spatial perception; mastery of typography and hierarchy, but also knowledge of materials, scale and construction processes. It requires understanding the brand while simultaneously understanding how a person behaves within a space.

This is how SB\Design creates signage: by beginning with a deep understanding of the environment, its flows and its people; building a clear information architecture; defining hierarchies and decision points; studying scale and fields of vision; translating brand identity into spatial language; selecting appropriate materials and construction systems; prototyping; collaborating with strong production partners; and following the process through installation. Because good signage does not simply tell us where we are or where we need to go. It organizes space, reduces uncertainty, creates confidence and can transform the very experience of being in a place.