Out of almost 600 MetamorphoSIGN entries, the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum was chosen as one of the two winners by a panel of judges from the FASTSIGNS® International corporate office. This dynamic non-profit organization in Boynton Beach, Florida submitted a heartfelt entry to the contest asking for help changing the bland, colorless façade into an invitation to the community to come experience acolorful learning adventure featuring interactive exhibits and hands-on education.

“Recent cuts in funding for arts & cultural institutions, education and non-profits have kept us from making any aesthetic changes or improvements to our exterior. With the lack of visual communication, countless passersby per day don’t recognize the purpose of our facility and the tremendous potential for learning that is awaiting them inside,”wrote Marketing and Development Coordinator Lindsey Nuzzo.

The Challenge

Once the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum team outlined the goals they wanted to accomplish with their new signs and graphics they called in Ken Baxter, owner of FASTSIGNS of Lake Worth. Together they addressed the challenges of raising awareness of the museum and making it easier to locate from the street. The first major issue was that building itself was set far back from the road and behind three royal palm trees, obscuring its visibility. Also the structure was a designated historical landmark, meaning it could not be perforated in any way. This made it impossible to hang any signage on the building itself.

The Solution

The FASTSIGNS team came up with a comprehensive visual communications plan to address the challenges and boost the museum’s visibility in the community. First, the royal palms were relocated on the property. A large monument sign was placed in the hole created by the palms. It provided a very visible message to identify the museum from the street. Banner poles were erected on either side of the entrance. These could be fitted with custom banners announcing museum programs and events. Finally, the FASTSIGNS team designed, created and installed posters in the museum windows to add color and visual interest. The banners and posters allowed the museum’s marketers to raise awareness without placing anything on the façade of the building.

The Results

Since the makeover, the museum has been able to enhance its marketing and communications efforts thanks to the consistently branded signage on the exterior of the building. The museum reported seeing 40% more visitors during the makeover year as compared to the previous year, and a 127% increase in general operations compared to the same time the prior year (due to the combination of new educational programming, stronger marketing and rebranding efforts, and stronger visibility strategy via the new signage.

As a bonus, the city took notice of the project and found extra funds to pressure wash, repaint and makeover the front of the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum. This city-granted makeover was done out of appreciation for the sign package and, as stated by one official, “to do this whole job right.”

“The FASTSIGNS Lake Worth team was very patient, accommodating and understanding as we went through the entire process, particularly the franchise partner, Ken Baxter, who was working with both us and the City of Boynton Beach to move the project along. We’ve received numerous compliments for our new signage from visitors and community members,” said Nuzzo.

Does your business need a visual communications makeover like the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum? MetamorphoSIGN is open for entries July 16 – August 10 at www.metamorphosign.com. Enter and be sure to let your fans, followers and connections know to vote!