Design Communications Ltd. Notes Architectural-Sign Trends

Design Communications Ltd. (DCL), which operates a primary fabrication facility in Boston and satellite shops in NYC and Orlando, has fabricated architectural signage since 1984. Harvey Whiteway, DCL’s executive vice president, said the company functions exclusively as a fabricator and doesn’t compete with EGD firms.

“We partner with a broad array of firms with very diverse experience and methodologies,” he said. “In every case, the challenge is to understand the expectation, recognize the project’s needs, and match them to our current production capacity.”

For whatever type of space they fabricate signage, Whiteway said DCL avoids price monsters – customers whose sole priority is achieving a rock-bottom price, even if it compromises quality.

“In the world of custom, architectural-sign fabrication, faster and cheaper equals failure,” he said. “Something will have to give. Either the design intent won’t be fulfilled, or the fabricator will have to pay out of pocket for the joy of satisfying the client.”

Whiteway said DCL’s production is rooted in common sense, rather than greenwashing: “We’re always gathering information about new products with an eye on lowering a job’s carbon footprint. We consider a project’s longevity; if a low-VOC coating is going to require more coats over the sign’s lifetime, or if a recycled product is going to have to be air-shipped from overseas to meet a deadline, is that really a ‘green’ solution?”

He noted that DCL’s projects increasingly derive from negotiation rather than RFP bid processes. When DCL does respond to project bids, Whiteway said it gives preference to potential clients who are informed in their sign-project expectations. DCL stipulates that it knows how many qualified bidders are involved with a project.

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Over the next five years, he doesn’t foresee many changes in the architectural-sign fabrication market: “Our customers and design partners will continue to push boundaries with materials, color and visual vocabularies that will require comprehensive solutions to deliver a buildable interpretation. And, even in a crowded and competitive market, we look to continue building on our trusted relationships.”