Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1491555
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A P R I L 2 0 2 3 • G R A P H I C S P R O 7 7 You already get GRAPHICS PRO magazine, but are you missing out on more? Make sure you're signed up for the GRAPHICS PRO Today newsletter for valuable content, including: • Technique-focused tips and tricks • Design and software guidance • Business management know-how • Current news on continuing education and trends in the industry • Videos from around the industry • The GRAPHICS PRO Files podcast And so much more! Use this QR code to verify your email and ensure that you receive GRAPHICS PRO Today Or, go to graphics-pro.com/today Today, your partner tells you about the new store across town that has a limited number of plastic pools in stock, and your daughter must have one for the summer. Your partner has already ordered and paid for it; all you have to do is pick it up. So, to make it easy for you, a text is sent with a link to a map that will give you turn-by-turn and step-by-step directions right to the front door of the store. What role does a gigantic monument sign and tenant panel sign perform in today's world of electronic navigational assistance? e big change came when our behavior was redefined by technology that is always inches from our hands. Along with that automatic "drag your car to any location, anywhere, at any time" map app driven by satellites and GPS technologies. Do you think your Uber driver uses those tenant signs to reach your destina- tion successfully? I am wondering if the entire concept of catering to the impulsive whims of people in traffic is a worthwhile idea anymore. If your sign client's company isn't a fre- quent stop for impulse purchasing any- way, how do you justify the expense of a sign made obsolete by phone directions? How does online shopping change the need for certain types of signage? How often do you overlook signage only to find yourself someplace you didn't intend to go? So, you rely on your phone, right? When lost customers can't find your location, they say, "Damn it, they need bigger signs," or, "Stupid app, took me to the wrong door." ese are signage prob- lems that traditional tenant signage was never meant to address. How do we educate our customers on investing in their marketing effectively to make it easier for people to find them? I am not saying "no signs" or that signs are obsolete; I am saying that now, more than ever, signs must be well-planned and thought through so that the old-school mistakes are not being carried over into our current store locating processes. I won't even mention the fact that online shopping and free delivery eliminate the need for the customer to go anywhere. Yep, it's scary, but it's also a great oppor- tunity to revisit every single shopping mall as well as other enterprises that have depended upon traditional signage. You have lots of opportunities for new, different, QR code-based signage. It's not about eliminating signs; it's about rede- fining them to do more in smaller, tar- geted places. GP Will the core purpose of the outdoor tenant panel sign (used at shopping centers and office parks) suffer a similar fate as the DVD, VCR, or travel agency?