Jump to content

Kingpin Creative

Board Patron
  • Posts

    69
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    5

Everything posted by Kingpin Creative

  1. What happened? Did a sign shop stiff you for not paying for your work? All of my freelance sign shop clients sell signs with the design on spec... they take the risk, I still get paid whether or not it sells. Thats agreed on at the very beginning. Why would a designer design on spec to a sign shop. Once that design leaves your hands, too many things can happen... the salesperson can present it poorly, the sign shop or salesmen may not have vetted the client who may only be tire kicking, the sign shop or estimator may estimate the sign too high... why would any designer take that risk when you relinquish control of your work? We do occasional freelance for sign shops that do larger projects where they sell design work. We just recently fired a sign shop because of the constant threat of "We can't pay you till we get paid"... granted, they always paid the bill, but sometimes it was weeks after we finished the drawings... and it consumed all our time. These are not channel letters or monuments, they were large apartment projects with a couple of hundred hours of work.
  2. Keep drawing like that and I'll be out of a job...
  3. Have you tried this type? Also might help you spray water while you drill to cool the bit... https://www.granitecitytool.com/cyclone-tile-bit-drywet-with-hex-chuck-12/product/0/600776 https://www.montolit.com/how-to-drill-without-water-every-type-of-new-generation-of-ceramic-and-porcelain-tiles/
  4. It's why I eat at Pat's, they make a great sandwich, and they treat everyone like crap equally.
  5. Wookies live to be 300-400 years old... He's around 225 in that teaser.... okay, I'm a nerd...
  6. Looks like a template solution. That site is not thier main site, they have a larger design studio and they sell these templates to various markets. I would not call templates design. You can make a portfolio page on most blogger sites and design portfolio sites that are free or a minimal amount. Have you looked at http://www.signshopmarketing.com/ ? It's actually Graphic D-Sign, but they are actually designing custom website, branding and brochure solutions for sign shops.
  7. if you go to the opening page of this site... https://99designs.com/ You will see last months payout was over 1,000,000 bucks, now if they get 10% for hosting that circus, it's not a bad haul for the headache. Take a look at the contests... free for all of pinching and posting... not collaboration more like a melee. This site is going to take time to build up, and they have larger issues (such as codes, zoning and planning) when posting up contests. But my guess is, there are plenty or underpaid designers working for sign shops who need to make a extra buck, and lots of fabricators who now have access to free design options at low prices. It sounds good, unless your a designer. I can't fault these people for jumping on the bandwagon, but the cost in the end may not justify the damage done to my industry. And that is worth debating...
  8. My business is mostly based on designing for other companies. The biggest reason are, they are not up on code signs or been popped a few times by inspectors or companies who have never done a complete wayfinding sign package from start to finish. The other clients I fill in when there is too much work and need to get work out. I'm at the point where I'm getting too busy.
  9. I don't know about all this drilling and power plant stuff since I'm only in the sign business... but I do have problems when options for illumination are taken away or that people buy into one product being better over another because they "seem" to be "green-er" Bull poop, it's because it's easier to make. I have clients that want me to only call out LED... nothing else... I always ask why, they say it's easier. In my position, more and more it's sign shops that are the problem... I design all kinds of signs, but finding competent sign shops who can do neon, pour footings with well troweled bases, do stonework, precast concrete and at the same time use the correct typeface, use correct metals for the area conditions. It's easier for me to find a old school sign painter, than it is to find a sign shop who can do real concrete and masonry. It's getting harder to find shops that can read a blueprint. Some of these sign jobs, 80-90% is subcontracted out. A trained monkey can slap LED in a sign can, and sometimes that is all I need, but sign shops are the ones preferring making more money taping strings of LED than paying someone to bend tube. I get this all the time. On the idea of scaring sign shops away.. i don't see it... being the 8th largest economy in the world means there are opportunities. My job (and quite a few sign peoples jobs) is to make things pretty and be consultants on the code stuff... someone has to design and build the stuff, and out of state companies are probably not equipped to deal with the subtle nuances of getting a sign built here. It can scare some people, and create opportunities for others. Going back to the 3M thing/MUTCD. when I was first getting involved with retrofits on freeway signage, these were being externally illuminated at the time... wasting money on energy and maintenance. They don't have to be externally illuminated now and I am surprised when I drive by one. And they illuminate more than the externally illuminated signs ever did. On the street sign issue, I think I read a study where there is a 16% increase in legibility over the previous standard.... not enough to order a retrofit of all street signage by a certain date. Looking over the latest MUTCD, I seen no consequences to states or cities who can not retro fit new signage, but when signs are being replaced, why not conform to that new standard, it's no big deal. I live in a rural area of California, they had retrofitted most of the stop signs to retro reflective. I think there is a good argument for safety on that issue.
  10. Hmmm, being that I have been involved with this type of work, the added amounts are usually more client/design by committee than pricing high by the design firm and the submittal process. Like I said, not everyone can design this stuff, if you as a sign shop try to bid on designing a wayfinding system, you might get a quick lesson in the city/state and federal government design process... a flawed system The average person will not invest in regulation... it takes to much time and money, its not worth it. The system is flawed. The money might be better spent elsewhere, but ask 1000 people, and sure you will get 1000 opinions on how it should be spent, that is why the vote to put people in these jobs so they can decide for us... probably another flawed system? I don't think so, but cities are probably thinking they are in the business of promoting the city, something usually suffers if the leaders are short-sighted. I think wayfinding and placemaking has some worth, but you are correct, wait till there is a pile of cash before making things pretty, some ongoing projects were probably designed before the recession. The reason why this story is getting attention is the media needs a punch line... it's a nine year old story. Now that comments are being heard again, you have a chance to say something. Not sure how much that will help, besides 3M, the sign industry is also the one benefiting from all this sign work. Some people believe this work can stimulate the economy by keeping or creating jobs.... Having 4 kids in the school system, I have learned that teachers over here get paid quite a bit more than sign guys, that have better benefits than sign people, and it's nearly impossible to lose your job, even if you are a crappy teacher... another flawed system. Most of my work deals with rules and regulation, take the ADA for instance... it caters to an extremely small minority that adds millions to the cost of city, state and federal buildings, and we sign people make money on it... another flaw. It goes on and on and on and on... too much for me to worry about, just have to charge enough so I can keep up with it. I'm still trying to help my wife with her quest to get rapist more prison time... don't get me started on that
  11. This really is very, very old news. If you have been noticing in California, freeway exit signs are starting to be replaced with exit numbers... something that was supposed to be implemented years ago. On funding for street signs... when I was designing them, the requirements for being compliant had to deal with signs being replaced using Department of Transportation funding or if they are located on federal highways. The language states that street signs must comply, but they have known this for years. It's just now that cities are pinched for cash are they now complaining and missed out on funds that were available at one time. Cities do have to pay for portion of the signs as a regular maintenance, but major projects are partially paid for by State Funds that are originally from the Federal Transportation funds as long as they comply with the MUTCD requirements. A lot of cities were going hog wild on city wayfinding projects that include street signs, monuments, sculptures, gateway entries... some are still in progress of design, fabrication and installation, those are funded by many organizations, including State Transportation funds and city taxes. As far as the 3M connection, again, old news, film companies can make films that are ASTM compliant... and you would think there would be an incentive, since all these signs need to be made. Most regulations are funded or pushed by corporations... they invest time, materials, and information for the payoff, other companies can benefit from them, but they have a lot of catching up to do as 3M has spent quite a bit on researching reflective film... I'm not saying it's right, but all the sign legislation I have seen happen, usually has some company name(s) behind it. If you google "city wayfinding" I'm sure you can find city council meetings where design companies are getting paid 20-100k for designing these sign systems, with projects in the 250-750k range. Not every designer or sign shop can do this work... you should look at a project like a new hospital or an airport. Signs up the wazoo because of State and federal requirements... kinda like the building code we design and build signs to. Almost every sign has some code or standard that adds to the cost. The MUTCD Standards is just another 800 page book that is next to 6+ other 200-800 page books I have to design to....
  12. On the organization part....It has always been my understanding that the reason the same people are recycled, is because it's the same people who make themselves available. I don't think they get anything out of it, or that they prefer to be in a position, it just works out that way and the organization has to have those positions filled... looking at member turn-around on a few organizations I have belonged to, no one wants to have a person in position who is not committed to the cause. The main theme I have always heard is, you get out of it, what you put into it. The only organization I see that really uses a wide variety of talent is SEGD. On magazines and articles, I have worked at a few shops and design firms where the owner or their marketing company wrote articles. On a few occasions I was disappointed on the perks and writing a rave review on a product that was not even close to describing what it really was. Not all were like that, but a few were.
  13. Here is one I sometimes use, the language came from after compiling a bunch of other sign off/proof sheets through the years. This proof of FINAL artwork will be used to produce your order. Once you have signed your proof we will proceed with your order unless otherwise instructed to make changes. Your signature and date are REQUIRED before we can proceed with your order. PLEASE CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX AND SIGN & DATE BELOW. PRODUCTION SCHEDULES BEGIN UPON APPROVAL. Please remember that by signing and returning this proof, you assume responsibility for any grammar, punctuation, spelling, layout or color errors that may occur. SIGN______ DATE_____ ___APPROVED AS-IS ___APPROVED WITH CORRECTIONS NOTED ___CORRECTIONS NEEDED or NEW PROOF REQUIRED
  14. I don't feel so bad for the guy... it's what I have to do every day, on almost every job. It's a restaurant, you have to go through many inspections prior to opening, and you get inspected from time to time. It cost hundreds of thousands to millions to open a restaurant. They hired an architect to design the sign...
  15. I was thinking the same thing as chubbygumby. I have 200+ printed sign brochures, some are geared toward the high end, some are not even good for wiping. Most of the places I worked for took a portfolio/presentation and had geared their brochure to the client by having printed pages and binding them in-house and then sometimes had a capabilities brochure. I think pdf brochures are great for the tire kickers, it's not going to fly if you go to meet a potential client with a few bucks and tell them to go to your website to download a brochure. Printing a brochure is sometimes a drop in the bucket compared to all the work it takes to get the photos, all the copy perfected and then designed.
  16. I only design, but I know a few shops who bootleg, it takes too long for architectural review so the client will want to go for it, and we have quite a bit of it here in my town... sign shops can be the problem. My other problem is over-compliance or complacency. Some ADA code language here is pretty clear, but someone will require the signs have braille and tactile even though the code states certain buildings built before some date, do not have to comply, they say do it anyways. I ask the state they don't know so just do it, ballooning the cost of the sign estimate, my client loses the bid because another sign shop comes in and does not put braille and tactile. Fire departments that are lax about fire evacs.. one time a fire department said to put fire evacs up, "if my client wanted too" Well I gave the client the option and a $50,000.00+ estimate on the fire signs, they said go for it, but the fire department would not follow the law and review and approve them according too code, no one would take liability, so the signs were never done. Another is I did the fire evacs and they allowed the client to delete the ADA portions of the signs. As licensed contractors, my client will most likely take the hit if some over zealous ADA geek goes in and demands they be added, even with letters of liability release.
  17. Just to add, you can see the current issues of segdDesign on the SEGD website: www.segd.org then go to 'publications' then 'current issue' http://www.segd.org/#/publications/index/5060.html
  18. Here was my answer... At the sign shops and environmental graphic design firms I have worked at, there have always been freelance designers. There might be a larger number, but it's to be expected when hundreds are getting laid off from sign shops of all sizes. Sign shops may not need (or can't afford) a well rounded sign and graphic designer until a large job comes in, or they need a speciality sign designer (like ADA, Fire Safety, wayfinding, environmental graphic designer) If you have a bit of experience, you might find yourself over-qualified. Most freelancers do not like freelance, but need steady work coming in until they can design work similar to how an environmental graphic design firm does it or until they are hired at a pay scale they are worth. Most of my clients are small licensed shops who only need experienced design help part time. They lack the skills to do it themselves or they don't have time to do it all. Another portion are shops who are great at one or 2 things, but want to widen out their services. I provide that ability without them making costly mistakes or hiring out and it not work out. It's not always cheap, it's that some freelancers can help a small shop service larger clients they would otherwise turn away. I would rather work for another design firm, but I do like having some control of the work. I think when the economy comes back, freelancers will have a wider choice of options and sign shops can offer more services without the burden or specialized permanent employees.
  19. Around here the second a shop closes another one springs up, I was driving down the main drag and saw a new company. What scares me is, wholesale companies are selling retail. At least 3 instances where a wholesaler sold and installed directly to a client, undercutting my client by a large amount.
  20. You usually have to get a business license when you pull a permit, and charge sales tax on certain products. Kinda odd that they ask for taxes on the sign. They are viewing the signage as improvements, which is usually taxable... but if you are already charging tax, then the client gets hit twice. Are they really improvements? or required to run a business? I don't get it.
  21. I have worked for a few contributers of magazines... not all of them did this, but contributers have been put in a position to lose some benefits from companies who supply them with free equipment or supplies if they do not mention them... very disappointing.
  22. Maybe I missed something, Fab Licensing? This bulletin is from this month....For structural fabrication of signs... Here: http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/industry/pdf/infobulletin/ib111.pdf and they reference here.... http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/industry/pdf1998/bnl17-03.pdf
  23. I dig your response... it's getting ridiculous around here. Do you think you are going to have issues with San Diego's "Fabrication" licensing? Or is that old news? I have had to deal with L.A. fabrication license when sending jobs out to bid, now I think S.D. County is going to be doing it.
  24. I have been waiting for more feedback from some of my freelance clients but any thoughts on this? http://www.calsign.org/legislation.html#title24
  25. I'm not looking for work.. I'm a freelance designer and an environmental graphic designer interested in where people are getting work. I see a lot of talk about national accounts and the state of the economy and payment issues and getting good work... Is most of your work designed by others? Is it supplied through a National company? Do you have full design service capabilities? Have you ever gone directly to an environmental graphic design firm looking for fabrication work. As a designer I have a major distrust of a few Nationals (and a few design/build companies) and try to steer away from a few who have taken work over jobs to get a bigger piece of the pie. They might be the ones who are treating a few here poorly when it comes to payment. An interesting observation and not at all a rip, but quite a few former employees of Image Point had no real signage experience prior to joining that company. I get the idea of project management, I was in construction management in a prior life. But with all the signage experience many "smaller" shops have, why not go after the smaller accounts yourself?
×
  • Create New...