32 Sign Company Uses for AI

THE MARCH 2024 issue of Signs of the Times takes up the hot topic of “AI and signs” in our feature article and several departments. Buzz Session, our regular back-of-the-magazine department with the results of our Brain Squad’s Do You Don’t You and One Quick Question, asked the following:

QUESTION

Do you currently use AI for anything related to your sign business?

Usually, only a third or maybe half of respondents at most provide details of their Yes or No answers to Do You Don’t You. However, when asked the question above, an incredible 32 of 34 Brain Squad members answering yes provided details on how they’re using AI in their sign business. Only five fit on the Buzz Session page of our March issue, but we wanted to bring all of them to you here.

Concepts and Idea Generation

• We use AI for idea generation, but the resolution is too low. — Jeffrey Chudoff, Fastsigns of Maple Shade, Maple Shade, NJ
• For ideas and inspiration mostly. — Sara Geiger, Fox Cities Sign, Appleton, WI
• Everything from company/employee handbook to field survey forms, and designs. — Tim Ward, Sign Solutions, Frederick, MD
• We have tried to use AI for concepts and references. It can be helpful. — Chad Lawson, Sign Pro of Skagit Valley, Mount Vernon, WA

Art and Rendering

• Conceptual artwork. — Jasper Burton, Cuerden Sign Co., Conway, AR
• Just about in any way possible. Mascots, photos, design direction, content, backgrounds, marketing the business, and many, many more. — Edward Shinn, Ed Shinn Signs, Mt. Morris, MI
• Some clipart stuff… still trying to figure it out as I am old. — Geoff Orlick, Quality Signs Ltd., Campbell River, BC, Canada
• I have used AI tools with Photoshop for photo clipping to reduce clipping time in layouts and designs over the past month and find them to help slightly. — Ian McLellan, Hill House Graphics, Bristol, RI
• Using Photoshop’s generative fill feature. — Ken Davidson, Davidson & Co., Marietta, GA

Writing and Marketing

• The only thing we currently use it for is marketing and social media posts. — Louis DeSantis, Sign Shop Illuminated, Colorado Springs, CO
• I’ve just been experimenting with creating newsletter content. — David Kinney, Kinney Custom Signs Inc., Marina del Rey, CA
• ChatGPT for writing letters, responses, sales, marketing posts, etc. We also use AI for some minor design renders. — Shaun Ensign, Legacy Sign Group, Westville, IN
• Writing contracts is a breeze with ChatGPT. — Jeremy Vanderkraats, Signs by Van, Salinas, CA
• Composing emails and sometimes photo touchup for posting to social media. — Karrie Brock, Fastsigns of Toledo and Maumee, Toledo, OH
• We use AI for some marketing materials, newsletters and job postings. — Scott Muller, Trademark Visual, Phoenix
• Lead generation and marketing. — Adam Brown, Sign Effectz, Milwaukee
• Simple copywriting help for marketing efforts. — Kelley Campbell, Specialty Graphic Solutions, Vancouver, WA
• Letters to help get a good structure — then we personalize them ourselves. — John Hipple, Sign Designs, Joplin, MO
• We use AI to help compose emails to follow up sales and prospecting. We have also used it to generate backgrounds. — Josette Brinkman, Fastsigns of Findlay, Findlay, OH
• Email writing, documents generation, image generation. — Brett Jeltema, Fresh Coast Signs and Graphics, Spring Lake, MI
• Advertising targeting. — Todd Sallas, Coastal Signs & Graphics, Slocomb, AL

Social Media and Website

• Building content for website. Answering some emails. — Carl Heinlein, Cincinnati Custom Signs, Cincinnati
• Content description creation. — Jonathan Elam, Creative Sign Solutions, Statesville, NC
• Used for SEO of [our] website. — Sarah Dixon, Unified Sign and Design, Louisville, KY
• We use AI currently on a limited basis in terms of creating lists and processes. We occasionally use it for some loose guidelines for social media or blog posts and the like. We have also used, to a limited degree, the AI features embedded into Photoshop, for example, but all our design work is original and developed without use of AI. — Derek Atchley, Atchley Graphics, Columbus, OH
• Managing social media posts and crafting sales emails. — Bobby Jordan, Fastsigns of White Marsh-Joppa, Joppa, MD
• ChatGPT to help with online posts, and replying to emails. — Marco Milliotti, Image360 South Orlando, Orlando, FL

Other

• Proofreading. — Edward DeZuzio, Butler Sign Company, Wayne, NJ
• Copy recommendations. — Tish Scialampo, Absolute Sign Inc, Los Alamitos, CA
• Research, documentation SOPs. — Greg Abbott, Abbott Image Solutions, Wilmington, OH
• Still learning about AI but trying to find all ways to help drive sales. — Kevin O’Connor, Enhance a Colour, Danbury, CT
• Currently, we are enhancing our project management tools by integrating AI to identify the most effective strategies, with a particular focus on human resources. This initiative aims to boost operational efficiency and sharpen our decision-making processes, ensuring we remain at the forefront of industry competition. Our ambition is to leverage AI to significantly enhance productivity and precision, driving our projects to success with greater efficacy. However, it’s important to clarify that our expertise in utilizing AI is still in its infancy. My candid assessment is that we are tapping into merely about 5% of AI’s potential. One of the challenges we face is finding an expert who can comprehensively explain the intricacies of the chatbot program in person. Based on what we have heard and read, chatbots represent an exceptional tool for sales and marketing. Yet, understanding their mechanics can be both astonishing and perplexing. — Patrick Clifford, Clifford Signs Inc., Kokomo, IN

For more information on AI and signs, see our March 2024 issue.

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