America at 250: Signs Across America
Signs do more than mark a place. They tell a story. And as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, signs have fueled the American dreams, celebrated uniqueness and laid the foundation for a nation to grow.
Liz Griswold, now with Ashton Designs and a member of the Sign Research Foundation Board of Trustees, played a small role in helping America’s pastime grow. Read more stories like this.
Here is Liz’s story:
This ‘Salt City Deck’ sign is anchored in both my personal history and my design practice. A third-generation Syracuse University alum raised in Upstate New York and my connection to what became the Syracuse Mets, working on this project felt like a full-circle moment, with my history with the city, my craft of experiential graphic design, and family ties to the Mets organization all converging at once. Opening Day waits for no one, and hitting that deadline while working through the realities of a Covid-era project made the outcome all the more meaningful.
As the senior experiential graphic designer at EwingCole directing the stadium-wide experiential design program, I led all naming, branding, and sign design for the ‘Salt City Deck,’ a new right-field patio area. The name celebrates Syracuse’s legacy as a historic primary salt producer for the country, while nodding to the fans’ affectionate nickname for the team, the “Salt Potatoes,” a beloved Syracuse summer cookout staple. With extended family from the Syracuse area, the city’s history was never far from my thinking.
Every element of the ‘Salt City Deck’ sign is grounded in a sense of place. The inspiration came from a nostalgic NYC skyline marquee sign salvaged from Shea Stadium, now hanging at Citi Field. That piece informed both the marquee-style lettering and the Syracuse skyline silhouette used as the backer, reimagining a piece of Mets history through a distinctly Syracuse lens. The art deco influence of the city’s architecture shaped the overall aesthetic of the typography, with the drop-cap “S” inspired by a painted sign mural in the downtown central business district. The realities of a live ballpark shaped the fabrication details, including a clear, non-glare acrylic face to protect the exposed marquee bulbs.
A stadium-wide experiential design program has to work at every scale, from the overall vision down to the details. When good design ultimately supports the team, the brand, and the fans who show up every season, that’s when it earns its place, and for a designer, that’s the most meaningful measure of success.