I've been designing for 20+ years. Took zero art classes, no formal design training whatsoever. I know what looks good & what jumps out & what is important or what should be emphasized in a layout. I get told all the time, "you're artistic." No, I'm a great commercial artist and had a lot of great trial & error life experiences along the way. Have tried to hire out of school "designers" that would spend 7 hours on a 10 minute design. I know in the past you were looking for an "A" on your school project, but I need to make money. Hard to find that production minded employee to begin with, let alone the mentality of great design work on top of it.
After selling my business I've transitioned to a printing business that is trying to be more involved with the large format & sign industry. They have designers that have been designing print designs for years, business cards & brochures and such, but don't have the 1st clue about laying out a sign. Biggest thing, you're viewing time on a sign opposed to a print piece. Usually you're driving when viewing sign, needs to be simple and to the point. Idk, I hold myself to a higher standard & wonder why others in this business are willing to do the same. You're only as good as your last project, granted they're not all show pieces, hard to church up a parking lot sign too much. Just my 15 1/2 cents...
I've been in the sign industry for about five years - my first career after a number of years in sales/customer service at a retail level. I had a background in design that I had taught myself (how to use Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and some basic gen ed courses taken during a career as a History Major in uni). It didn't help much for signage.
"Designing" Signage for production is different than print, and requires far more practical and production knowledge. Many posters have noted that talented designers have created proofs that are, for all intents and purposes, impossible to produce. In my time working at various sign shops I've seen designers promise clients we can make 1/2" wide channel letters (no), roof signs (without checking bylaws, which distinctly said No, you cannot), and that "Variances are sure things" (which they are not).
Sign designers also require a knowledge of math, some background (or willingness to learn) in structure, production, wiring, and permits. It's a lot more than "designing."
This is why having a knowledgeable boss to first tell you what the job is about, and after getting hired, shows you the limitations signs have when being reproduced.
I would tell a designer new to the business, this should take 10 minutes to layout, this will take an hour. I don't get buggy when it takes twice as long, because in time, they will get it. Channel letters? grab them by the hand, take them to the shop and show them how they are made, why they are this deep, or can only go so thin. Watch them see their "creations" (or layouts) being made in the shop so they understand construction or the process. Walking out to the shop and asking the guy welding the metal or installing the sign was the best part of my education. But will it be the kind of work they want to do? Most graphic designers out of college have loftier goals. Working at a sign shop may seem like a step down unless they something to contribute. Of course, if they come to me with 4 lackluster pylon designs in 30 minutes that have no relationship with the building architecture, color or elements that add no value to the client, they get a gentle critique and some guidance to come up with a better solution in a couple of hours while they knock out some vehicle graphic, banner or private parking sign...
You need to find a graphic designer with the soul of a sign designer. You can't do that if you have no background in signs.
There is a trend in the sign business with some franchise companies where you get training, but the idea is to hire a sign designer to get started and the new owner would learn from them. The company would find an adequate designer for you... if the OP is not well versed in signage, he might want to look into that path. Again, in a pinch, there are plenty of freelance designers that can take up the slack or even train your employee...
It really does matter what type of sign designer the OP is looking for... for all we know, he wants to make Raider fan parking signs and peeing Calvins...
