posted
A few weeks ago some very nice folks dropped by our studio/shop in Yarrow. It was on a Saturday and officially we are closed.
I was puttering in the shop and saw them drive up hesitantly. There were drawn in by the magic of our sign and the architecture of the shop. They were out for a drive from the city, an hour and half distant.
I gave them a little tour and they were enthralled. As they left she gave me a card from their little business and asked me to contact her soon regarding a possible sign for them. Their little shop was unique and was in a hugely successful and trendy tourist area of the city.
Ten days later I took the time to phone her and then drove into the city to meet with her. I also set up a lunch date with my son who lives nearby, just so the trip wouldn't be a total loss if the sign business part came to naught.
Lunch with Peter was enjoyable.
The little business catered to city folks pets. Situated in a quaint structure, it begged for proper signage, although the faded, temporary banners had obviously hung for a long while. I met with the owner, had a delightful visit and we discussed the possibilities. I also found out she had made a contract with another sign shop some months earlier although they had simply taken the deposit money and disappeared. She was getting desparate for a proper sign.
Her previous budget for signage had been $750 and the deposit money was now gone without any result.
I tired to press her on a current budget, without success and she tried in vain to get some figures out of me as to the value of what I had in mind. I've learned through experience not to give numbers out without some serious calculating and a good idea of what I am to build. That would take a little time and I was confident the ideas I would come up with would sell themselves.
Even so I had a good feeling about these folks and the project enthralled me. She provided me with some artwork on her business card... a GREAT starting point. I decided to break my rules about a design deposit and simply said I would get back to her with some ideas and a proposal. I journeyed home and immediately set to work at my design table.
The proposal only took a couple of hours. I pulled out all the stops. The end result was a series of three signs, with six layers of magic to be done on our MultiCam. I used everything I have learned to date with style, layers, colors, texture and dimension. I event took the time to assemble a photoshopped picture of her distinctive building with the new signs in place. I was proud of the resulting presentation. The signs proposed were colorful, fun and yet very easy to read and would transform her little shop into a landmark instantly.
The only hitch was that the final price of the project's small signs came to almost $6,000, a budget I KNEW they would have trouble with.
Even so I was confident. It was past midnight when I finally finished the proposal and as I hit the send button of the email with all of the enclosures I was confident this was a winner. I went off to bed satisfied and slept soundly.
I got confirmation of her recieving the emails the next morning when I returned to my desk. But no reply. It would be two more days before I heard from her. Her reaction was jubilant. They WANTED the signs and simply had needed some time to arrange the funds for the signs. They didn't even try and negotiate. Better yet they made NO changes to the design I had come up with.
The signs are now ordered. We'll get into production shortly.
I LOVE it when a plan comes together!
-grampa dan
[ September 26, 2006, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8762 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Welcome back Raymond!!!!!!!!! we/I have missed you greatly!
I'll be sure to post some progress pics of this project as we get into it. It will aptly demonstrate what our MultiCam will do with a little creativity applied.
Anything fancier than a cutout off your pea shooter yet???
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8762 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Dan - well, we did another cut out job today. Even if it is simple, it's still fun to watch.
We even did a nice pattern in the sacrifice table. Funny how those things will do exactly what you tell them to do. Wonder if there is some software that will do what you intended to do rather than what you tell it to do.
Wasn't it really quite around here for the past few months? I'm feeling better already.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Raymond... I think that same software you are looking for will do real nice designs and layouts with virtually no creative input from the operator.
I've heard of such a thing but haven't yet located it..... but like Raymond I'm searching.
Just wait until you start working in 3D Raymond... makes for some GREAT patterns in the sacrifice board. Broken any expensive bits yet???
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8762 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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If you have ever read any of my posts, you will find that I have had a lot of trouble getting the guts up to tell someone what I want for the kind of work I am designing. Just like you just told, I have actually given a quote via email, & waited afew days, thinking it was too high, when they finally did answer me for much the same reason that your customer gave you!
And SURPRISINGLY to me, they never even mentioned the price!!!
Thanks for posting that, & yes! Post the picks as you do them!
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Raymond Chapman: Well, isn't that just special?
HAHAHAHA !! Choke ! Gasp ! Raymond , you got me out of lurk mode with that one ! THAT was priceless ! LOL ! Oh Boy, that about got tears in my eyes laughing. The banter between you an the amazing Dan always gets my attention. LOL ! FUNNY ! By the way, i have a peashooter also. Pretty happy with it. You will be too. What software did you get ? I cant remember what Dan is using. I think Signlab? I cant get more software, but i dont get the results from bitmaps like he does. I do have an article around here about you, Dan and your samples. Signcraft i think. Thanks for the laugh Raymond. Ended my day better. rick woodward
-------------------- Rick Woodward Woody's Sign and Design Po box 391 402 East Smith st. Oxford, In. rcarves@hotmail.com Posts: 3 | From: Oxford,In. | Registered: Apr 2003
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Dan, Just a little aside. When I was very new here, I asked one of the folks about you at my first meet. The man said: "He's a master of the craft...and besides that, he's one of the real gents on the board." The greatest compliment my late father could give to a man, was to say he was a "gent"... Reading your posts and seeing your art these last years has proven the guy at the meet was correct on both counts. You even jab Raymond with a dull needle.
[ September 29, 2006, 11:43 PM: Message edited by: William Holohan ]
-------------------- William "Irish" Holohan Resting...Read "Between Jobs." Marlboro, MA 01752 email: firemap1@aol.com Posts: 1110 | From: Marlboro, MA | Registered: Dec 2001
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