Looking for critique.

[toych]

I fell like I'm getting closer to the type of signs I would like to produce and think that each one is getting a wee bit better.

I'm still not 100% percent satisfied with the design and was wondering what others thought. Keeping in mind that the customer asked to have less emphasis given to the name.

The 4x4 posts look a little skinny although 6x6's looked clumsy in my drawing. I will be adding a smaller panel below this one in the new year with phone and web info on it.

Give it to me straight, I can take it!

Have a great holiday everyone.

Darren

[gc3]

ask same question on www.signs101.com design forum

you will get great feedback

[myxpykalix]

I am NOT a sign guy so this is purely subjective. I like the posts I think they are appropriate size for the sign. Even though the client said less emphasis on his name, I think it should be bigger. If i'm driving by and looking for him in particular i'd like to see his name larger. Other then that i like it!

[signtist]

A couple of things.....the name should be bigger. No matter what the customer tells you. About the same width as BROKER. Right now it looks like an afterthought added to the sign panel.
The panel around INSURANCE could be a little bigger too. The letters are too close to the edges of the dark panel.
Try looking at the negative space (white) around the letters. All the lettering could have been larger to fill the space up a little more.
The spacing (kerning) between the letters in the name could be spaced a little more open too, so it would go along with BROKER better.

[bcpop]

There is not enough contrast in the block with "Insurance". The poles are fine, though they seem to be a little tall for my taste. I believe the person's name should have been a little larger in relation to Insurance even though the word insurance should be dominant.

[navigator7]

I fell like I'm getting closer to the type of signs I would like to produce and think that each one is getting a wee bit better.

I'm still not 100% percent satisfied with the design and was wondering what others thought. Keeping in mind that the customer asked to have less emphasis given to the name.

As a sign guy wannabe, it looks great. However, you asked for a critique.
I think your own admission that you are not 100% satisfied is entirely linked to misuse of the dead space as John Arnott related.

The Natural Layout Formula
29%, 38%, 33%, A, A plus 15%, B equals B, optical center
By Michael Stevens calls it out pretty good.

Everybody leaves out natural talent, flair and brute ignorance in creation.


My scanner is kaput so I can't show you the diagram.
Here is the next best thing:

[joewino]

You can check the accuracy of a layout by squinting your eyes - the little detail is lost and you only see major shapes.

When I squint, the thing that is clearest is "Broker" and that's not the priority copy. "Insurance" is the main idea, just like your customer stated but the contrast between the gold and the black keeps it from being predominate.

Also, there needs to be more negative space around "Insurance" inside the panel to make sure that the viewer's eye is drawn to that area.

You have done a great job of not crowding the text all the way out to the border - that's a common mistake.

The name could be a little bigger - it gets lost in all the negative space around it.

All in all, it's a good job.

As a general rule, the eye is drawn to the area where the darkest dark is against the lightest light (contrast) and the area surrounded by the greatest amount of negative (white) space. Of course, you don't want the viewer's eye to be drawn to a space that doesn't tell them anything.

[dakers]

I start with reading the sign ordinance to see what is allowable.
then determine how far the sign has to read to be legible.
then start the design to satisfy everything mentioned above letting the client know what will read and what will not read from where it needs to read from and if that is ok with him.
the last thing i want is to have the customer say "no one can read my sign"
can also make a scale 1''=1ft and show him how it will look to customers by taping sketch on wall and standing back. Example: stand back 250'' = 250 ft.
the color choices also are considered for legiblity.

But what i am trying to do is not sacrifice legibility for designs sake unless the customer does not care, then i will do what ever they want even if i do not like it. i just try to guide them into something that will work.

the sign you designed may work. i do not know the details above nor do i know what your customer priorities were in design vs legibility.