HNS Signs, took the top spot in Berlin for the second year running for their unique, but highly skilled approach to Ted Baker’s boutique store environments at print and signage awards, the FESPA Awards. HNS won gold in the ‘Non-printed Signage’ category of these industry accolades that recognises the very best talent globally in traditional sign, print and digital signage.
Michelle Henry, Managing Director at HNS Signs, says of the award win: “Working with Ted Baker was an award win in itself, but to enter the project we delivered against world-class signage experts and take gold for the second year running really is something else. We were very excited to put our creativity and craftsmanship to the test for Ted Baker to enhance their retail store experience. Accepting Gold in Berlin on behalf of the team really highlights our dedication to our trade and creating something different for our customers. To think just a few years back we started in a small co-space in Birmingham servicing one client to landing big brand names and global awards really is the icing on the cake to our growth. “Even though we walked away with gold last year fighting off Harley Davidson for our innovative work with The Arcadian, we really didn’t think we would be walking away with gold again”
The global award highlights the hard work the Birmingham-based signage team delivered in collaboration with the interior design team at Ted Baker and their unique approach to signage design. Initially contracted to deliver a hand painted chalk board sign and pub-style design for the Ted Baker village in Bicester, HNS Signs excitable energy, passion and skill soon won over the design team at Ted Baker who then commissioned HNS Signs to complete more signage work in Bicester and Oxford Store. “Why haven’t we found you sooner” were the exact words by the lead interior design team at Ted Baker when they saw the finished look. “We never realised such crafts existed until we stumbled across HNS Signs.”
It’s only natural Ted Baker’s interior design wowed the judges at FESPA to take Gold and cement HNS Signs in FESPA’s history. Suzi Wilkinson, FESPA representative, highlights what caught the judge’s eye to give the UK business the top accolade: “Superb old-fashioned style adopted to modern customers’ needs. HNS Signs skills to translate PDF drawings to hand-painted graphics exude personality. The range of sign making methods used result in a really engaging in-store experience. Well done HNS Signs.”
HNS Signs delivered a genuinely artistic mix of traditional sign writing with a modern approach to support the opening of Ted Baker ’s two new stores in Bicester and Oxford. The uniqueness of the project was born as a backup plan, after the original plan to use a vinyl stencil not being suitable. HNS Signs had to use their signage expertise and used a trace to achieve a worn chalkboard look instead which produced an outstanding finish. Taking nearly five hours to mark each board by hand and a further seven to sign-write and finish, the displays were lovingly crafted with handwritten just 2mm high. This attention to detail instantly won the team three more sign orders as Ted Baker could see the professionalism and true skill needed to craft such works of art. The next signage project with Ted Baker turned their attention to the central wall space and changing rooms in their Oxford store which needed a luxurious feel.
Truly loving what they do, and seeing their day job as a piece of art, the HNS team, wanted to over deliver on this project and really deliver an enhanced customer experience for Ted Baker, which they did in so many ways winning a long term relationship with the contemporary designer and walking away with Gold at the FESPA awards.
