The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is a world class award winning research and teaching centre at Aberystwyth University and Create were chosen by the construction firm Willmott Dixon to provide the main entrance signage to the two new buildings at Gogerddan and Penglais. Both buildings have many environmental features including sedum roofs, rainwater harvesting, natural ventilation and sustainable timber cladding and were designed to achieve a Breeam rating of Excellent.
Fixing the stainless steel letters to the ventilation louvres of the two storey research building from a mobile elevated platform provided a small challenge to the installation team but the completed signs look very effective.

With 2011 now a distant memory, 2012 got off to a fantatic start with possibly our busiest ever January. We are delighted to have added more construction companies to our client list and welcome BAM, Barwood Developments, Buckingham Group, Dawnus and Midas Construction as clients. We will do our utmost to provide the best possible sign service to all new and existing clients in 2012.

In 2011 Create also became an approved contractor to commercial real estate brokers and consultants Cushman and Wakefield. Assessed by Human Focus for Health and Safety complicance we have passed their Competent Contractor scheme so now have another logo to add to our letterhead!

Bristol City Council have announced that Create Signs have won a contract to supply the council’s signage. The Create team are delighted that the council recognized that the company stood out from the competition and is able to meet the council’s many requirements to deliver a quality sign service.

“Create are able to offer the council an economic, efficient and sustainable sign service and we are incredibly proud that Bristol City Council has recognized that Create are one of the leading sign companies in the South West, able to deliver a first class service to a complex organisation such as the Council”, said Create partner Andrew Fogg. Projects already completed for the Council include some fantastic exhibition graphics for Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Thank you to independent financial advisors Lansdown Place for some very kind comments (see What Our Clients Say) about our recent work. I think we all agree that the new office signs and window graphics look fantastic.

We are pleased to announce our membership of the UK sign makers trade body, the British Sign and Graphics Association. If you are looking to purchase signs for your company then take a look at their sign buyer’s guide for useful information and insight into sign types, what you should know and how to get the best from your sign supplier!

Good signs and wayfinding guidance are an essential part of any successful access strategy. We believe that clarity and simplicity in our signage makes our buildings more user friendly for everyone, not just those with visual or physical impairments. The most most successful sign systems are those which are clear and simple and use common, consistent language and symbols. Here is our list of 10 top tips for successful access for all signage:

1. Ensure there is a good contrast between text and sign background and if possible between the sign and the surface on which it is located
2. Position signage consistently so people know where to find relevant information
3. Signs should be fixed at eye level, where possible – between 1.4m and 1.6m above floor level
4. Choose fonts with a clear, unembellished (sans-serif) typeface and use sentence case with no underlined text (headings could be a larger size and bolder)
5. Make sure letter heights are large enough to be clear from a distance and use left aligned text
6. Pay particular attention to space – between letters, words, lines and around the sign itself. To improve legibility, it may be necessary to increase spacing by up to 30%
7. Tactile signs should have raised/embossed text and be positioned between 1.4m and 1.7m above floor level and at a distance of approximately 0.5m. The minimum character height should be 15 mm.
8. Always use tactile signs on toilet and bathroom doors, near lift call buttons, at the top and bottom of flights of stairs and wherever it is necessary to show the function of a room
9. Simple pictorial devices and symbols can be more successful in aiding recognition and overcoming language barriers. Internationally recognized symbols should be used if appropriate
10. When Braille is used on signage, it should be located directly below the text and ranged left. A recessed or raised Braille Locator mark indicates to the reader the exact location of the Braille on the sign

A good guide to inclusive signage is published by the JMU and Sign Design Society and is available from the RNIB.

At last it’s here! M Shed, the revamped Industrial Museum on Bristol’s harbourside, has opened following nearly 5 years of renovation.

Create Signs were delighted to have been asked to produce and install the external signage and internal wayfinding signs for this historic project. The signage, designed by culture and heritage specialists, SteersMcGillanEves, compliments the fantastic new internal spaces and will dazzle visitors to Bristol’s harbourside and revitalized Museum.

Great to hear that Rio Architects and BDP won awards for the Wales region at this year’s RIBA Awards. We were pleased to work on the signage for two of the winning buildings – the University of Glamorgan Students’ Union (Rio Architects and Vinci Construction) and the University of Wales, Newport (BDP and Willmott Dixon Construction).

It was good to have the director of the BSGA call in to see us recently. Following discussions at the 2011 Sign & Digital UK Show we needed to know if signing up with the UK’s principal trade organisation for the sign industry really can reap benefits for members. We were impressed with ideas for taking the BSGA forward and believe that membership is definitely a 2 way street. We hope that with accreditation Create will benefit from the Association’s experience and support and that we can contribute to making the BSGA a strong and vital industry body.

Nice to see some great pictures of our signs on the website of one of Britain’s leading architects. AWW have some lovely pics of our educational signage at Melksham Oak School, Bristol Skills Academy and Merchant’s Academy.