Why Signage Can Amplify and Convey The Brand Message

Signage has always carried weight. More than a way to point the way or promote a name, it shapes how people perceive and experience a brand. From the carved signboards of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece to today’s digital screens, signage has long been a medium of authority, identity and message.

“The most effective examples combine clarity of message with memorability of design. They do more than promote – they guide, inform and create a sense of place,” says Leigh Banks, Spinach Branding partner and branding director. “At its best, signage becomes part of the environment, enhancing the way people navigate and connect with it.”

Spinach has explored this across a number of projects, including Barking Riverside – one of London’s most ambitious recent mixed-use developments. From the outset, signage played a central role in its placemaking ambitions, helping to shape spaces that feel authentic, inclusive and connected to their surroundings. Every touchpoint was considered to ensure the development speaks with one clear, consistent voice.

Banks explains, “What appears on a sign is only the surface of a complex message. The challenge – and the art – is to distil that complexity into something immediate and precise. As the old adage reminds us, simple never means simplistic.”