We all know how important business signage is to any company.
But did you know that conducting periodic evaluations of your interior and exterior signage can improve your brand image and bottom line? Eye-catching graphics that reflect your corporate colors, current logos, and high-quality lighting ensure that your message continues to resonate with your customer base. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a signage audit can also provide assurance that your organization is adhering to important health, safety, and environmental standards. With many people following a remote work schedule, your physical location may not be as crowded and bustling as usual, which can be helpful as you go about the evaluation process.
Follow these simple steps to conduct an audit that effectively identifies any shortcomings in your company’s signage system.
- Plan to take detailed notes and photos. During the audit, you’ll want to list any items that need attention and capture detailed descriptions of them. Taking pictures is a good way to record issues so that you can easily recall them later.
- Start by examining exterior signage. Can it be easily read? Does it still correctly communicate the nature of your business? Are there any burned out lights or loose fittings? Make note of any signs that need to be repaired or replaced. Also look for any visual communications that may be hidden by overgrown vegetation and in need of landscaping.
- Thoroughly inspect your interior signage. View each sign from all angles to ensure that it’s readable, in good working order, and properly placed. Are any signs in need of repair, replacement, removal, or cleaning? Is the wayfinding system still accurate? Are the employee names and titles displayed on signs and directories current?
- Keep branding in mind. Have you recently updated your logo, typeface, or corporate colors? Your branding should be consistent across all communication vehicles but signage is often a forgotten element.
- Are you utilizing your space effectively? This is the time to think creatively about what signage may be missing. For example, the floor represents once-overlooked signage real estate that’s being put to good use during the pandemic. Removable floor decals are commonly used to remind people to maintain a six-foot perimeter from others, enforce one-way policies in hallways, and identify permissible entry and exit points.
- Don’t forget about compliance. During the audit, take time to ensure you’re adhering to all of the latest OSHA regulations and CDC recommendations for safety signs.
For example:
- Is there signage outside your building displaying the reduced number of people allowed in your facility at one time and any other protocol changes?
- If your business is a city where face masks are mandatory, is outdoor signage displayed indicating that face masks must be worn in order to enter?
- Are floors marked with appropriate physical distance in areas where proximity to others typically occurs?
- In areas where furniture cannot be rearranged, have you added physical barriers such as counter guards between stations and tables?
- Are there directional arrows on the floor indicating the flow of traffic?
- Do you have signage outside of office spaces, elevators, lunchrooms, and other smaller spaces indicating the reduced number of people now allowed in those areas?
Accurate, appealing business signage can create a safer, more enjoyable environment for everyone who enters.
Rely on the experts at Adler Display to deliver the communication tools your company needs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Please contact our knowledgeable team to get started.
About Adler Display: Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Adler Display brings more than 80 years of experience to organizations in need of high-quality recognition displays, lobby and corporate interiors, custom exhibits, historical timelines, trade show displays, and signage and graphics. For more information about Adler Display, please visit the website at https://adlerdisplay.com/ or call 855-552-3537.