You can learn a lot about effective sign design practices by analyzing big brands. And while national franchises probably have a larger sign budget at their disposal, many of their secrets to success can be applied to more economical, small business-friendly signs.
To help you elevate your signage on a small budget, today’s post reverse-engineers a successful sign design used by one of Bakersfield’s larger restaurant chains: Panda Express.
Read on to learn more, or call (661)-379-6545 to speak directly with a sign design specialist near you.
With over 2200 restaurants to their name, Panda Express definitely qualifies as a big brand. Recently, our team was chosen to create marquee channel letter signage for one of their Bakersfield locations.
In this case, the client came to us with a strong design vision, and our team delivered according to their exact specifications:
So what design lessons can small business owners learn from Panda Express? Although they chose to omit their iconic panda logo, this sign still manages to be eye-catching and evocative, thanks to:
If you’re looking for ways to stand out from your local signscape, take a page out of Panda Express’s book and try incorporating more contrast into your sign design. This tip is perfect for small businesses, since high contrast does not mean high cost—even economical banners, yard signs, and sandwiched boards can be made with dark backgrounds and bright text (or vice versa).
So what makes red such a great choice to anchor their storefront signage? First of all, building off the previous point, red really stands out from the surrounding environment, creating external contrast in addition to the internal contrast within their sign design.
But that’s not all. As written in “Color Red: Implications for Applied Psychology and Marketing Research,” a study published in Psychology and Education, the color red is frequently used in the restaurant industry because it triggers appetite, likely due to neuro-associations with ripeness or sweetness in natural foods like berries, bell peppers, and apples. Some researchers speculate that it could also be linked with savory cravings for red meat. Red is also associated with energy and excitement, both feelings Panda Express tries to capture in every customer experience.
Just like color contrast, color psychology should be incorporated into the advertising strategy of any small business because it is so cost-effective. Indeed, in many cases you can choose different sign colors for no added cost. You just have to decide what color represents your brand (e.g. green for eco-friendly companies, gold or silver for wealth management firms, etc)—and our sign design experts are standing by to help!
To schedule a free consultation and get a quote on any custom sign design, you can:
References
Bullough, J. (2017). Factors affecting sign visibility, conspicuity, and legibility: Review and annotated bibliography. Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding, 1(2), 2-25.
Piotrowski, C., & Armstrong, T. (2012). Color Red: Implications for applied psychology and marketing research. Psychology and Education-An Interdisciplinary Journal, 49, 55-57.
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Amazing! they took my vision and brought it to life. they stayed in contact with me every step of the way and their pricing was very competitive! I will definitely be using them again!
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Working with Mike was very easy. He communicated well and, once all the details were sorted out, the project was completed quickly. Mike had great feedback and was able to give good information to answer all my questions.
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I am the site super in charge of the sally beauty supplies store build in Bakersfield. Sean, John and Martin, the installers who worked on my site were extremely competent, efficient, and did a great job. Site super Jimmy Carroll
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Janet Jenkins Jan 1, 2022
Good design team. Experienced in the field and always willing to help
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Great company and service!! I was out of town for most of this process and Trinh & her company handled everything from permitting/install/inspection.
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We use TM Signs and Graphics for all of our products and we have been VERY impressed every time. They are quick and get everything spot on every time! As a business owner, I will always recommend them!
At Home Inspections Nov 11, 2021
Mike was great in getting us a brand new sign for our building! His service was great and the sign looks amazing! I'm glad I chose to work with TM Signs and Graphics for this project.
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Mike took the time to come to my business and discuss what would signs would be best for our new store, as well as options that helped us with cost. Our signs look great and couldn't be happier.
Track Time Hobbies Aug 8, 2021
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Thank you Bakersfield Signs and Graphics for your hard work! The staff at Bakersfield Signs and Graphics was so helpful throughout the whole process. I highly recommend their services to anybody interested. - Director of Mission Development, Stewards Inc.
Gabe Arellano Apr 4, 2021
Bakersfield Signs & Graphics did an amazing job on Updating our Business Sign. Trinh was incredibly professional and thorough from the first step to the finished product. I would like to say Thank You to Trinh and the team for making this project very simple while using the best materials around. We will definitely be in touch for Future Projects! Thank you!
Adam Rendon Feb 2, 2021
Hats off to Trinh and her team. We needed new signage on quite a few of our office doors. Other companies we checked in with were not able to come out until the following week of our request, Trinh showed up within an hour to measure for what we needed. The work was performed within a few days perfectly! We would highly recommend giving this company an opportunity to earn your business. They did ours this time and future times to come.
North Bakersfield Toyota Jan 1, 2021
When the best man at my wedding was unable to make it last minute, Bakersfield Signs and Graphics came to the rescue. They custom made a cardboard cutout of the best man. It was a huge hit at my wedding and everyone loved it! They made it so fast and it looked exactly like the other groomsmen. I couldn't believe how well it turned out. Thank you so much for bringing some much needed laughs and fun during times like these.
Nicole Freeman Dec 12, 2020
BSG did a fantastic job re-designing the Yard Sign logo for ICO Gardening. The original picture was old and couldn't be used due to low resolution. They had to create a new one to the exact picture. They were quick and efficient in competing my order.
Dominique Nov 11, 2020