SignGraphix — Image, Identity, and Wayfinding

Registered architects belonging to the American Society of Architects (AIA) must complete 18 hours of continuing education per year to remain in good standing and renew their membership. The AIA’s Continuing Education Service (AIA/CES) supervises these continuing education activities, both for its members and for state licensing boards.

SignGraphix, Inc. has been licensed to present the AIA/CES registered course, Architectural Sign Programs, to architects in the East North Central Region (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin). We will present the course at no charge to qualified firms and individuals.

Learning Objectives

Understand the importance of signage and the relationship between architecture and signs
Understand the primary tasks involved in designing and specifying an architectural sign program
Describe the problems and limitations associated with the current approach to specifying signage
Develop strategies to successfully specify and document architectural sign programs

Issues Addressed

Signs – Not Just an Afterthought

Signs are a relatively small, but important, part of the design program for almost all facilities. We know that signs represent a fraction of a project’s total cost, but we also know they are extremely visible. Unfortunately, signs are often handled as an afterthought and as a result, many sensitively designed projects are visually diminished by poorly conceived sign programs.

Why a Consistent Process Is Key

The design and implementation of an architectural sign program, regardless of the type, size, or complexity of a specific project, is more likely to be successful when a consistent process is followed, and minimum construction document requirements are satisfied.

Consequences of a Poor Process

Currently, on a majority of projects for which signage is specified by an architect, a consistent process is not followed, and minimum documentation requirements are not met. There are some serious consequences to this fact.

Value-Added Signage Services

Architectural sign companies and EGD studios offer a range of services that can be of value to the architect as he or she approaches the task of creating a well-designed sign program. These services include consultative sales assistance, design, programming and documentation services, and turnkey design-build sign packages. Architects who complete this course will gain greater appreciation for how their careful attention to signage can enhance a design and development project’s overall success.

Course Information

Title: Architectural Sign Programs
Number: IDNTA-01-A
Length: 1 hour
Credits: 1.0 HSW (Health, Safety, and Welfare category) Learning Unit
Cost: No cost to qualified firms and individuals

Course Curriculum

Signs and Architecture: Wayfinding, Identifying and Informing, Branding
How Signage is Designed and Specified
Sign Design: Critical Tasks and Requirements
Types of Exterior and Interior Signs
Signage Codes and Regulations
Can the Sign Program Be Green?
Construction Documents: Drawings and Specifications
Characteristics and Consequences of Inadequate Sign Documentation
The Bottom Line: What the Sign Program Costs
Making It Real: Choosing the Right Design Resource and Options
Keys to Success: Recognition, Process, and Control

Course Presenter

SignGraphix has been licensed by Identia to present this course based on our proven understanding of the process by which architectural sign programs are designed and implemented. We have also shown our thorough grasp of the course content and our ability to present it in a professional manner, consistent with AIA/CES policy.

By licensing SignGraphix to present the Architectural Sign Programs course, Identia has certified our knowledge of the design process, construction documents, signage materials, and sign fabrication. We have demonstrated our expertise to engage in a consultative process with architects for the purpose of creating effective sign programs.
Read SignGraphix' press release on the Architectural Sign Programs course »

Course Developer

Identia is a Registered Provider with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES).

Identia licenses their AIA/CES registered educational courses to qualified presenters. Courses do not promote the Identia Sign System or any particular products or techniques. Identia trains presenters to ensure they follow AIA/CES policies. The company also performs course administration and record-keeping tasks, including sending certificates to course attendees who request them, in compliance with AIA/CES standards.

Identia’s products for the architectural sign industry help designers, facility managers, and sign professionals create and manage sign programs more efficiently. Identia is a division of Whitney Veigas Architectural Products, Inc. of Needham, Massachusetts.

Interested?

If you have questions or would like to schedule a presentation of the Architectural Sign Programs course at your location, please contact us by filling out and sending us our simple online information request form.