If you’re a longtime reader (hey there, fans!), you’ve likely noticed some changes to Signs of the Times in the past seven months. It’s been a pretty exciting year for our brand. The magazine has never looked sharper, in my biased opinion, and we used your feedback to drive many of the changes you can see today, including new features about how to expand your shop into new segments, case studies with an eye to error prevention and profitability, and so much more.
There are more changes afoot, but the next to crest the horizon will be our new website at signsofthetimes.com. For a number of years, we have watched as mobile-friendly sites gained popularity, and we’re excited to continue to move in that direction. Our message boards, long a popular feature of the site, will be completely revamped to help signmakers find recent, relevant help on equipment buying and everyday needs. They’ll include the ever-popular truck forums, as well as a section simply titled “How do I…?” Self explanatory, right?
When I think about my own media consumption, it’s become more frenetic now than ever before. I’m not proud of it, but I’m more apt to be distracted or pulled to the side by pop-ups and related articles. If an article takes too long to get to the relevant information, my attention is harder to harness. (And what was that email that just came in? Who just texted? Was that a meeting reminder?) Not always, but when I’m cramming in current events in what seems to be ever-shrinking free time, I just don’t feel I can afford anything less than a clean, direct, easy-to-digest format. It turns out I’m not alone, as we have heard from you, too, that content that gets to the point and is accessible and bottom-line oriented is critical.
The new site is a resource for you, whether you’re looking for the latest piece by a favorite columnist, a new job, or a gallery of photos showing stunning signage. We’ll also be incorporating new video content, so stay tuned!
And as we inject this new energy into Signs, we’ll also be out in the marketplace more. Along with our usual crew at the ISA and SGIA tradeshows (come say hello!), you might see a staffer at your regional sign show, graphic design conference and a few others. We’ll let you know via social media, so be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Or simply search for “Signs of the Times.
We ll meet you there.