Sign making is a huge profession with so many concepts and techniques falling under its umbrella. With so much to learn, assistant editor Benjamin Austin thought it would be a good idea to brush up on his knowledge and attend the newly established First Drill course at Make it Happen signage consultancy. Here’s how he got on:
From left: Benjamin Austin, Libby Clifford, Piotr Porczak, Claire Owen, Sean Pigott, and Charlie Price
The sign making industry is vast and highly skilled, and if done right, can show the best in creativity and inventiveness, but to a green newcomer such as myself, it can be daunting.
I have been writing about the field for the last six months, learning as much of the vernacular and terminology I can to pass conversation with the experts, but I still feel there is so much more I need to get to grips with – and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
With so many businesses starting up or recruiting up-and-coming talent, it is important to get these people as adept at their new roles as possible and as quickly as possible.
That’s where Make It Happen Signage Consultancy comes in. For the past decade, it has helped budding starlets in the industry gain both knowledge and experience, as well as develop networks for people to talk to those with years of experience.
Founded in 2016 by CEO Sam Armstrong, it has helped so many and grown quite a reputation across those in the industry.
It has run workshops monthly for varying levels of experience and job roles, with its newest offering, The First Drill, aimed at those just starting their careers.
At the time of writing, it had only run three of these workshops, having started in January this year, but it has already gotten some strong and positive feedback from the industry.
So, I thought it would be a good idea to try it out for myself and join the ranks of the others marching down the path of a long career in signage.
Falling in line
Heading to the SignFab headquarters in Leicester, I was greeted by Libby Clifford, who would be running the workshop. With only two years of experience, she is new to the trade herself, but meant she understood what it felt like to join the industry.
She said: “Sam and I discussed this workshop, and we agreed it may be hard for an industry expert like her to try and step into the shoes of a brand-new starter. I, on the other hand, still know what it feels like to be new, and more importantly, what I would have loved to be told when I started.
“We took inspiration from the signage boot camp, but the thing is, if you’re brand new to this industry and you attend this course, the sheer amount of information and terminology may be overwhelming.
“If I had something like this when I started, I would’ve 100% appreciated it. It’s useful information, no matter what area of signage you’re in; understanding the whole process is key. I know for a fact that it would have massively boosted my confidence.”
The Make It Happen group ready to learn
I joined four others for the day, all with varying ranges of experience. First was Sean Pigott, who had been with South East sign makers, Lemboss, for six months. Though new to signs, he did bring decades of experience working in the print industry and was hoping to fill in the gaps of his knowledge.
Staff from Europoint Manchester were also there as part of their basic training for their new roles.
Claire Owen landed her job four weeks prior, having accompanied her partner to a work do and made a good impression, while Piotr Porczak had only been at the company for three weeks, having made the career change from a job in IT.
Last in the group was young Charlie Price, who doesn’t start his role until May 1, but was offered the opportunity to go to the workshop to get some knowledge before starting.
All had come from completely different walks of life and explained how it was by pure chance they fell into the industry; a notion that is seemingly common in the industry, even I, who formerly worked as a reporter for my local paper.
It was even said at the start of the workshop: “No one ever thinks they will get into signs, but they find their place along the way.”
Earning our stripes
But whatever the reason for being here, we all came with an intention, and everyone seemingly walked away with everything they wanted.
Libby continued: “Someone like Sean probably knew 70% of the information, but enjoyed solidifying that information while picking up new knowledge. Whereas Charlie came in with no knowledge, and I believe by the end of the day, he had a nice basic understanding.
Assistant editor Benjamin Austin getting stuck in with the exercises
“Claire and Piotr were asking specifics about certain materials and things they are comfortable with, but then learning a bit more on the side.
“I think The First Drill is a wonderful starting point, so that people like Charlie can step into his new job on his first day with a bit of knowledge, knowing what to expect and, most importantly, feeling confident in himself and his role.”
The course was designed with a small group in mind. It was designed to be engaging with encouragement of questions with lots of practicality, and so keeping each group a more intimate size not only made it more manageable but meant more attention could be given to those attending.
Topics revolved around types of materials used in sign making, questions to ask the client, the planning process, as well as a few competitions and hands-on activities.
We were given an introductory course on the intricacies of sign making, what materials are available and which ones are best used where, as well as clever ways to upsell offerings to customers.
We were also taken for a tour around the SignFab workshop floor to get a better understanding of all the different processes used to make signs, and seeing it firsthand gave a clearer understanding of everything spoken about upstairs.
Sound-off
All-in-all, it was engaging, informative, hands-on on and I genuinely feel I have come away with more knowledge about the industry in which I write about; I have since held interviews with other members and have been able to keep up with the terminology they use.
Libby Clifford (left) and Sam Armstrong
The others also found it useful. Sean said, “It’s been good. I had a lot of questions to ask, but it’s been good to come here and have them answered and get the whole overview.”
Charlie shared this sentiment. He said: “Obviously, I have no experience, so having an introduction to it all is exactly what I need”, while Piotr added: “It’s been good. I’ve had a great time and am very happy with how it all went. I’m very excited to see what else is to come.”
I can now say I feel more integrated in this industry than before and am more comfortable writing about it – I even have the paperwork to prove I passed my initiation.
