Signs of (a) Greater Denver
Moving to a new city gives you a fresh perspective on a lot of things. As a graphic designer, one thing that hit me right away when I moved to Denver was the abundance of horseshit design seen on the streets of just about every neighborhood I explored. But the more I looked, the more I found some really nice design as well. I think this is the case in most cities. It's just that when you get used to a city, you're able to block out the bad design a lot easier. When you're new to an area, storefront signage is one of the only methods you have to decide if establishment or its neighborhood is worth a damn.
This is why I think signage is a hugely undervalued aspect of branding. How many times have you walked by a new restaurant, bar, or shop and thought to yourself "that place looks good" or "that place looks like a dump?" We do it all the time. We totally judge these places by the cover, and that determines in an instant whether or not we're likely to ever go inside. The fact that many business owners fail to see that blows my mind. But it's not just their fault, they don't know any better. It's as much the job of designers to help improve their communities and to help these places see the value in good design.
This is why I started a collection of photos on Flickr showing what I think is some of the better design around Denver. I'll continue adding more as I find them, and hopefully come up with the names of some of the sign designers/builders.
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
