Design Clinic: Sign faces for an auto repair shop

Tenant signs on directories can be a challenge, no doubt. Often there is a lot of visual competition on a directory, and clutter can be a problem.

Our example for this Design Clinic, though, looks temporary at best. If you’ve ever seen those Halloween stores that rent out a space in a strip plaza, you know they put a big, bold banner out to complete the look. This, though, obviously is not even bold, and one wonders what they hoped to advertise here.

They used only about one-third of the available space. Don’t get me wrong—I truly appreciate so-called negative space on any sign these days, but maybe not as much as we have here. I’m wondering how the involved parties came to an agreement on this design?