University and School Signage

Educational signage plays a vital role in schools and universities, going beyond simple navigation. In addition to directing individuals, signs can also promote a sense of unity and highlight the unique identity of the institution. A well-planned signage strategy can also attract prospective students and enhance the campus experience for current students and their families. With a large variety of options and limited resources, finding the right approach can be a challenge.
Here are 5 things to ask yourself when considering school signage:

• What is the primary purpose of the signage?
• Who is the target audience for the signage?
• What type of signage will best meet the needs of the school and its community?
• How will the signage integrate with the school’s overall branding and aesthetic?
• What is the budget for the signage and how will it be implemented and maintained over time?

By leveraging the right combination of design, placement, and messaging, institutions can use signage to differentiate themselves and make a lasting impression on their students, staff, and visitors.

Effective Educational Signage Ideas

When designing signs for schools and universities, you should first consider the audience. Educational signs should be clear, easy to read, and designed for the intended audience’s age and reading level.
Additionally, consider placement based on common walkways, entrances, exits, or attractions. For example, placing signage around a scoreboard in a sports arena will attract a lot of eyes and will likely be memorable. To ensure that the signs are attractive and engaging, designers can incorporate graphics, images, and interactive elements that are relevant and appealing.

School Campus Branding Ideas

A campus branding strategy can help create a consistent look and feel for all of the signs on campus. Here are some common types of branding signage:

• Welcome signs: Large signs that greet visitors, students, and staff at the main entrance or other key locations on campus.
• Wayfinding signs: Directional signs that help visitors navigate the campus and find specific buildings, offices, and classrooms.
• Building identification signs: Signs that clearly identify each building, including its name, function, and other relevant information.
• Donor recognition signs: Signs that honor donors and other supporters who have made a significant contribution to the school.

Tips on Implementing Cost-Effective Signage Strategies for Schools & Universities

Cost is always a consideration when implementing signage strategies, but it is possible to create effective signs that are also budget-friendly.

Prioritizing Your Educational Signage Needs

One option is to prioritize the most important signs and upgrade or replace them. This approach focuses on the signs that serve the greatest purpose, such as directional signs, emergency signage, and signs that promote departments and ongoing programs.

By upgrading these signs first, schools and universities can immediately improve wayfinding and communication, while also creating a more professional and welcoming atmosphere. This prioritization approach also allows schools and universities to gradually phase in new signage as budget permits, rather than incurring the cost of a complete overhaul all at once.

Consider Multi-Purpose Signage

Another approach is to consider multi-purpose signage that can be used for many events, school functions, or simply showcases the school’s branding. For example, a banner sign in the hallway can be used to display upcoming events and academic programs, while also promoting the school’s brand through images and messaging.

Budget-Friendly Materials

When considering signage materials, working with a signage company that specializes in creating signs for schools and universities can help to ensure that the signs are well-designed, high-quality, and cost-effective.

How to Make Your School or University Signage Stand Out from the Crowd

To make your school or university signage stand out, start by using consistent color schemes, typography, and imagery across all signs and incorporating unique design elements that reflect the school or university’s values and mission.

For example, schools and universities could incorporate symbols or images specific to their location or reflect their culture and history. Tailoring your signage to reflect the unique brand and personality of your institution, will make it easily recognizable and memorable.

Additionally, utilizing different materials, textures, and finishes can also add depth and dimension to your signs, making them more visually appealing. For outdoor signage, consider incorporating lighting to enhance visibility, especially at night. These small details can go a long way in making your school or university signage truly stand out and make a lasting impression.

Let Bishop Image Group Help You Reach Your Goals

Bishop Image Group is an expert in this school signage and can help you achieve your goals no matter the size. As an approved Chicago Public Schools vendor, they have helped many organizations create exactly the signage and messaging they need for their facilities and have deep experience building custom signs to match virtually any need. Contact us today to learn more about how Bishop Image Group can help you with your school or university’s signage.

Sign placement is important on K-12 campuses where students, teachers and parents all rely on adequate signage to navigate the school and reach classes, events and locations. Eye-catching messaging and visual elements are important in these settings, but creating a plan can be overwhelming.

Let’s break down how to create a successful K-12 signage plan and what components should be considered. This will include understanding your audience, placing signs strategically, using consistent branding and design, maintaining clear and concise messaging, and performing regular sign maintenance and more.

Understanding Your Audience

Before you can create adequate signage design for your K-12 campus, it’s important to understand your audience, including their needs and expectations. Ask yourself:

• Who will be navigating the campus?
• What type of labeling (written words? pictures?) will they understand?
• What information should be conveyed through signage?

Create a description of the people who need to understand the signage on your campus and use this as a roadmap for your signage plan.

Signage Placement

Once you’ve identified your audience, the next step is to identify key locations for signage, including the height of the sign and readability. On a K-12 campus, some students are still growing and may be less likely to see signs that are well above their heads. When determining strategic sign placement, it’s important to:

• Determine best size and height for each sign: In an environment where adults and children mix together, it’s important to keep in mind who needs to read the signs the most, and what size and height will capture their attention.
• Choose the right colors for visibility and readability: Colors should contrast enough with the environment to be noticeable.
• Determine what type of sign should be used: The type of sign used should be one that makes sense for the purpose and environment. For example, a sign meant to be seen in an emergency may need to light up, especially in windowless corridors, since power outages can happen during emergencies.

Campus Signage Design and Branding

Branding and design play a role in your campus signage and will allow you to create a cohesive look and feel across your campus. These tips can help you create an effective signage design:

• Avoid small, difficult to read or “fancy” fonts
• Use eye-catching graphics
• Include your logo or mascot
• Use simple language and convey a simple message, in as few words as possible
• Use large letters that can easily be read from a distance
• Use colors that are consistent with your brand
• Leverage visual aids when possible

Clear and Concise Messaging

Clear and concise messaging in signage is critical. Use as few words as possible to convey your message. More words mean more time to spend reading the sign, and that means that fewer people will have the chance to digest your message. If the message can be conveyed with pictures, it should be – especially on a campus with small children.

For example, a sign that says “Library” and includes an iconic picture of a book can be read by students and teachers alike, because it includes one word and a picture. This is an effective sign for a K-12 campus.

Signage Maintenance and Updating

As things change at a school, so does the need for signs. Signs at a K-12 educational facility should be inspected at least once annually, and if needed, the signs should be updated.

To minimize the cost of updating a sign, all signs at the educational facility consider creating portable banners that can be easily taken down and replaced when needed. You should also consider multi-purpose signage that can be used for recurring events or programs.

Start Your K-12 Signage Plan Today

A successful K-12 signage plan will include locations, plans for maintaining brand consistency and plans for ensuring sign clarity for students, teachers and parents.

Once you have your signage plan in place, work with a trusted partner such as Bishop Image Group to help with design, printing and installation. Bishop Image Group is a certified Chicago Public School vendor allowing us to provide quality signage services to CPS students, associations, and staff members. As sign designers, printers and installers, we can help your educational facility develop signage that helps ensure a safe and easy to navigate campus for all who enter your school’s doors. Contact us today to get started on your next printing project!