Want to learn more about design in the sign & graphics industry? From what technology to use to best practices for wayfinding, the below industry-specific resources will help guide you through sign design.
Click on the name of a resource below to read a description and see purchasing options. Reach out to education@signs.org with any questions.
Note: Online courses and on-demand webinars are accessible only by the purchaser.
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Online Courses
BIM as a design process has become a standard in the world of architecture. What does this mean for the environmental graphics industry? Using Revit™ as a guide this session will explore the possibilities of BIM tools on environmental graphics projects. With a particular focus on the design and documentation process, users will gain an understanding of what BIM tools like Revit™ mean to their work.
The Building Information Model (BIM) is the standard in the world of architecture. What does this mean for the environmental graphics industry? Using Revit as a guide, this session will explore the possibilities of BIM tools on environmental graphics projects. With a particular focus on the design and documentation process, users will gain an understanding of what BIM tools like Revit mean to their work
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
What if you could match your monitor with output from your wide format printer? What if you could get training in color management that was not confusing? What if you could learn how to match spot colors like logos and more? This course is designed for anyone interested in answers to those questions. Learnings gained from the session will allow you to apply these principles in your shop and save time color matching, enhancing your print image quality and improving customer satisfaction. All of this allows for easy increases to profits and improved ROI.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
This online course covers (a) code and load requirements including engineering considerations; (b) structure, materials and failure mechanisms including identifying various types of structural materials and the differences, types of failure and other structural concerns; and (c) soils and footings specifically soil bearing capacity; spread footings and use of rebar; caisson footings; frost heave and base plates and anchors.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
What are the options, processes and benefits of using SketchUp 3D models in 2D Design Intent and/or Shop Drawings? How does 3D content in a 2D drawing add value for the client, the fabricator and the designer as well? Gain an understanding of the processes used to build a clear and concise set of drawings that feature 3D models in various configurations. This course showcases relevant sign project content and specific process steps focusing on the inclusion of 3D content into the drawing set opening new avenues of thought and possibilities.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
This course is designed to help you become more efficient in print-cut workflows and color management using FlexiSign®. You will learn essential tools and techniques to create a smooth workflow when designing and producing print and cut applications.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
Go back to basics and learn what goes into an effective vehicle wrap, why branding is so important, how to present your ideas and common pitfalls to avoid. Learn how to effectively market wrap design and how to stand out among your competitors.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
In today’s global market, the demand for brand consistency across product lines is higher than ever. Achieving color consistency is a crucial part of this demand, and G7® Color Management by Idealliance provides a solution that delivers consistent and repeatable color across all print mediums. This course will teach you how to calibrate your color system to G7® standards before creating custom color profiles, resulting in significant improvements in color consistency and repeatability.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
Effective use of design is within reach for small companies. This course profiles the impact of different design metrics on the effectiveness of modern on-premise signs. The research is reviewed on metrics from size to landscaping to dynamic information. Learn how to compare the relative merits of each design area in order to order to formulate a series of strategies for both the design and integration of on-premise signs into an overall design approach.
- Price: $60 for ISA members; $80 for non-members
Sign Research Foundation
Full Report
To be an effective form of communication, signs must incorporate the science behind artistic design principles. Any regulation must also take these factors into consideration to ensure that signs are both effective and safe. This document includes some of the latest research into applicable scientific principles.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
This report analyzes on-premise signage pre-attentive processing in pedestrian streetscapes to inform placemaking design standards in form-based code development. The research was conducted by a team at Michigan State University’s School of Planning, Design and Construction led by Pat Crawford and Robert Dalton. Contents include the implications of signage and placemaking and the supporting literature and methodology. Download this report to better understand signage in the urban streetscape environment and the relationships between placemaking intensity and signage.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Full Report
Museums, healthcare facilities, and transit systems have been particularly forward-thinking with fusing traditional and interactive wayfinding, combining apps, indoor location technology, and digital and static signage to guide visitors in and around their facilities. This study explores eight digital wayfinding experiences across the seemingly disparate environments of art museums, hospitals, and public transit to learn what makes for the most successful and seamless blend of digital and physical guidance. Our goal is to assemble lessons in user experience and system design that can be applied to tomorrow’s digital wayfinding projects.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
Bundle
Understanding the factors of sign legibility is of paramount importance for designers, city planners, and township boards due to its impact on various aspects of community life and functionality. Clear and easily readable signs are essential elements to promote safety, efficiency, aesthetics, regulatory compliance, and community engagement within urban environments. This resource distills the current research on legibility and presents a simple and logical method of calculation that allows designers, planners, and owners/end-users to determine ideal sign sizes for roadside on-premise signage scenarios. This bundle of four resources includes the full report, a quick reference field guide, a master calculation worksheet, and a on demand webinar by the report’s authors, Ten Steps to Sign Legibility & Visibility. (Access to the master calculation worksheet is included for one year until 12/31/2025).
- Price: $20.00 for ISA members; $30.00 for non-members
Full Report – Guidelines for Traffic Safety
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Field Guide
- Price: $20.00 for ISA members; $30.00 for non-members
Full Report
This report provides an overview of successful wayfinding strategies for retailers. Developed through surveys and case studies, it outlines key elements of retail wayfinding, including strategy and store design, effective retail signs, and the integration of visual merchandising and digital technologies. The report highlights best practices from various retail sectors such as supermarkets, mixed-use centers, restaurants, pharmacies, and banks. It emphasizes the importance of legibility, dimensionality, and modularity in sign design, as well as the role of experience design in creating cohesive and engaging retail environments. The document also includes case studies from leading retailers like Wegmans, Clifton Market, City Creek Center, Shake Shack, Walgreens, TD Bank, Urban Outfitters, and Time Warner Cable, showcasing their effective wayfinding strategies.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
This concise summary highlights the best practices in retail wayfinding, driven by analysis and real-world examples. It explores the impact of strategy and store design on customer experience, including the psychology of shopping, store layout, and experience design. The document also discusses the components of effective retail signs, such as legibility, dimensionality, modularity, and illumination. Additionally, it covers the role of visual displays, visual merchandising, marketing, and digital wayfinding in creating a cohesive retail environment. Ideal for retail professionals, this executive summary is a valuable resource for enhancing customer navigation and improving overall store performance.
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
Full Report
This research explores the impact of different design approaches and strategies for exterior landmark signs, digital signs, and urban wayfinding. The study includes surveys and case studies from cities like Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, focusing on the effectiveness of signs in enhancing community identity and urban environments. The research highlights the importance of legibility, quality materials, modern lighting, and integration into buildings and landscapes. It also examines the role of signs in supporting commercial institutions and community improvement. The study aims to provide evidence-based design methodologies to inform best practices in sign design and urban planning.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
This concise summary explores the impact of signage on urban environments and community identity. The study includes surveys conducted in Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, focusing on landmark design, digital sign design, and urban wayfinding. Key findings highlight the importance of legibility, quality, and integration with architectural surroundings. The document also discusses the role of digital signage in enhancing community aesthetics and the effectiveness of wayfinding systems in promoting walkability and engagement. Ideal for urban planners, city officials, and signage professionals, this executive summary is a valuable resource for understanding how effective signage can enhance commercial institutions and community environments.
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
SRF’s Urban Wayfinding Planning and Implementation Manual introduced the concepts, processes, and best practices for urban sign programs. In the same way, The Trail Sign Manual delves into the specialty area for park and trail development by associations, advocacy groups, landscape architects, and planners. There has been recent innovation in park and trail development, and this manual provides much needed guidance on best practices, practical areas and social context to help connect neighborhoods and enhance community.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Full Report
Increased legibility research has led to more effective typefaces, but also more restrictive regulations. This four-part white paper series by Craig Berger includes the history, best practices, ADA code considerations, and case studies for the use of type in our environment and the future of typography.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
This concise summary explores the critical role of typography in placemaking and signage. It delves into cognitive research on how visual graphics help us understand our surroundings, covering aspects like detection, discrimination, identity, and orientation. The document highlights best practices for environmental typography, including legibility factors such as negative space, letter height, and lighting. It also discusses the historical evolution of typography, from ancient Roman metal stamps to modern digital signage. Additionally, the summary addresses the impact of regulations on typographic design and features case studies of successful projects. Ideal for designers, urban planners, and signage professionals, this executive summary is a valuable resource for creating effective and aesthetically pleasing typographic designs.
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
Full Report
The “Urban Wayfinding Planning and Implementation Manual” by the Sign Research Foundation is a comprehensive guide for developing urban wayfinding systems. It covers the importance of wayfinding in enhancing urban brands, improving navigation, and supporting economic viability. The manual details the components of wayfinding systems, stakeholder engagement, financing, regulatory frameworks, design processes, and system management. It includes case studies, best practices, and highlights new technologies and trends in wayfinding. The manual aims to educate planners and city officials on creating effective, durable, and integrated wayfinding systems that enhance community identity and visitor experience.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
The document is an executive summary of the Urban Wayfinding Planning and Implementation Manual, focusing on the importance of investing in wayfinding systems in cities and providing guidelines for development and implementation. It details the components of effective wayfinding, including vehicular and pedestrian signage, destination-ID panels, and urban area identity elements. The report highlights trends such as multi-modal transportation, digital displays, and solar energy. It provides a summary of the full guide on managing wayfinding projects, from initial strategy and financing to design, fabrication, and installation. It also emphasizes the role of wayfinding in enhancing visitor experiences, reducing visual clutter, and supporting city branding.
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
Full Report
This study investigates the people, processes, and tools that some of the leading large medical facilities in the U.S. have put into place to manage their wayfinding systems, from static signage to wayfinding apps. The case studies provide the basis for best practices that medical center leaders may employ as they establish or improve their own wayfinding systems and operations. Many of these best practices may be applied outside healthcare – to any complex facility that experiences churn and growth.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
Executive Summary
This executive summary presents findings from research investigating the people, processes, and tools that some of the leading large medical facilities in the U.S. have put into place to manage their wayfinding systems, from static signage to wayfinding apps. The case studies provide the basis for best practices that medical center leaders may employ as they establish or improve their own wayfinding systems and operations. Many of these best practices may be applied outside healthcare—to any complex facility that experiences churn and growth.
- Price: $15 for ISA members; $20 for non-members
On-Demand Webinars
In this on-demand webinar, Leslie Wolke, founder of MapWell Studio, shares insights from interviews with facilities and wayfinding managers at seven of the country’s largest and most prestigious healthcare institutions. The webinar explores best practices for keeping signage up-to-date, consistent, and coherent for visitors. It delves into the people, processes, and tools these institutions use to maintain a range of wayfinding tools, from static signage to wayfinding apps. Emphasis is placed on practices that can be adopted by facilities of any size. This recording supplements the SRF research “Wayfinding Management: Models & Methods in Healthcare Environments”.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
The design and development of new sign types accompanying the evolution of the “smart city” creates new challenges for communities to ensure regulatory and privacy concerns are proactively addressed. This session seeks to help you understand the development of smart cities across the globe and to appreciate the importance of citizen participation and social equity in developing policies which will govern technologies currently being integrated and in development.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Several factors impact the legibility of on-premise, roadside signs. When talking to customers and sign code officials, you need to understand and be able to explain the importance of letter size, contrast, placement, sign height, and other critical characteristics. SRF’s newest report breaks down the science behind sign visibility and offers a calculation tool that you can use to test (or prove) your design concepts. In this on-demand webinar, you will hear directly from the authors of the report and get a sneak peek of the research before the general public! Learning Objectives: How sign size impacts visibility and readability; principles for sign placement for optimal legibility; design considerations for sign conspicuity; strategies for seeking variances from restrictive sign ordinances.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Bundle
This three-part on-demand webinar series, based on “The Trail Sign Manual: A Planning Guide for Parks and Trails Signage” focuses on the growing specialty field of trail sign design. Explore planning and design of this niche field, as well as a look at the history of trail design, more than two centuries in the making.
- Price: $20 for ISA members; $30 for non-members
INDIVIDUAL ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Planning Considerations of Park & Trail Signage
Park and Trail Wayfinding is a unique combination of institutional branding, identity development, placemaking and interpretation. This lecture will discuss the trends in trail wayfinding as well as the stakeholder and planning methodologies that lead to successful programs.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
History of Park & Trail Signage
The History of Park and Trail Wayfinding stretches back over 200 years, but in the last 20 years diverse and exciting wayfinding programs began to proliferate. This lecture covers both the expansive and recent history through the selection of 25 projects from before 2000 and 25 projects from the last two decades.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Sign Design for Parks & Trails
Parks and Trails are great venues for experimentation. This lecture profiles a number of these innovative approaches including digital technology, illumination, durable materials and street furniture. The lecture also covers how designers create comprehensive and consistent systems built to stand the test of time.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Bundle
This comprehensive four-part guide to urban wayfinding, from planning to implementation, offers tips on financing, design, regulatory issues and maintenance. This on-demand webinar series, based on the “Urban Wayfinding Planning and Implementation Manual” by the Sign Research Foundation, offers support to planners and city officials interested in developing wayfinding programs that enhance a brand and reinforce key destinations.
- Price: $30 for ISA members; $40 for non-members
INDIVIDUAL ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Part 1: Planning
Successful wayfinding programs have strong planner and public official leadership. This program delves into important aspects of planning leadership including financing, stakeholder management and regulatory management. Led by design and administrative professionals the lecture will also include a discussion on proactive techniques for project leadership.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Part: Design
Cities and Regions are undertaking large structural changes with short term crisis reinforcing long term economic and social trends. This program will focus on a few leading trends impacting wayfinding including the expansion of trail and regional park projects, digital technologies and multi-modal expansion.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Part 3: Fabrication
This on-demand webinar goes in depth into how sign companies and fabricators are incorporated into urban wayfinding and the role they play. It focuses on the material and fabrication process represented in the manual and will be tailored for fabricators. Signs in outdoor environments need to be tough to withstand the physical environment and everyday wear and tear. This program encompasses the material, fabrication and maintenance approaches that can extend the life of a sign and make it easier to change and update including: material and fabrication process; location planning for better maintenance; material and lighting specification for durability; sign management; and maintenance.
- Price: $10 member; $15 non-members
Part 4: Case Study
This on-demand webinar examines the process of developing wayfinding system in a sign district containing multiple municipal areas. It includes all of the themes outlined in the manual from the mission statement to final implementation. Topics include municipal and planner leadership; working with the design team; financing; regulatory management; prototyping and fabricator bid; and final management.
- Price: $10 for ISA members; $15 for non-members
Tools & Resources
The possibilities for signage are limited only by imagination and budget. In fact, many businesses will benefit from using more than one type of sign as part of their overall strategy. However, signs range from simple to complex, with costs ranging from a few hundred dollars well into the thousands. Explore these different types of signs.
- Price: $0.00 for ISA members and non-members
