Thank you for Subscribing to Construction Business Review Weekly Brief
Todd Carey, VP of Sales and Marketing and Kelly Sheldon O’Byrne, Director of MarketingIn 1985, Tom and Diane Latimer started a small signage venture in their garage with a grounded ethos, “Take care of your customers and the rest will follow.” Four decades later, that philosophy continues to define Latitude Signage + Design under the leadership of CEO Michael McKeag.
Now a 100-employee company, Latitude delivers full-service architectural signage for a wide range of environments. From wayfinding systems that help visitors locate departments and entrances to environmental graphics that reinforce identity, the work is about more than just brand expression. It is about the architectural environment of a building and ensuring each element aligns with materials, code, lighting, scale and movement through space. Architectural signage is integrated into collaborative planning with project teams rather than layered on after construction.
“Clients often approach us during pivotal moments such as rebrands, expansions or complex multi-building projects,” says Todd Carey, VP of sales and marketing. “And we can do it all. Whether it’s design, manufacturing or installation, it’s all our people.”
This confidence stems from a fully integrated design-build process that handles planning, design, manufacturing and installation under one roof.
Collaboration. Integration. Execution.
How does Latitude plan signage locations using architectural plans and regulatory code requirements?
The process begins with reviewing architectural plans and recommending every location where a sign is needed based on local, state and national codes. During planning, the team develops detailed plans and sign message schedules outlining what each sign will say and where it will be placed. Conceptual designs follow, which allow clients to finalize the design direction that reflects both brand identity and architectural intent. Every signage solution balances creative vision with practical manufacturing considerations, ensuring the design works in its intended environment.
“Across decades of combined experience, the team has seen and done just about everything,” says Kelly Sheldon O’Byrne, director of marketing. “We’re really good at problem-solving because of our collaborative environment. Designers can walk into manufacturing and ask a fabricator, ‘Will this work? What is the best way to build this?’ This ensures our designs can be built.”
Collaboration extends beyond internal teams. Projects involve marketing leaders, facilities teams, executives, architects and contractors working together to balance client needs and brand guidelines with practical production realities. Since design and manufacturing operate side by side, ideas are tested early, and adjustments are made through value engineering when budgets require it. Designers can walk to manufacturing and ask, “Will this work? Can we build this? Should we design it differently?”
-
Clients often approach us during pivotal moments such as rebrands, expansions or complex multi-building projects. And we can do it all. Whether it’s design, manufacturing or installation, it’s all our people.
Collaboration extends beyond internal teams. Projects involve marketing leaders, facilities teams, executives, architects and contractors working together to balance client needs and brand guidelines with practical production realities. Since design and manufacturing operate side by side, ideas are tested early, and adjustments are made through value engineering when budgets require it. Designers can walk to manufacturing and ask, “Will this work? Can we build this? Should we design it differently?”
Advancing the Craft Through Technology
What technologies has Latitude introduced to improve fabrication efficiency and environmental sustainability?
Over the last five years, the company has expanded its digital printing capabilities, Vertigraphics is a robotic system that prints on-site wall graphics. By printing with small amounts of soy-based ink instead of relying on large PVC panels for vinyl installations, the process reduces material consumption, installation steps and VOC emissions.
The team uses specialized fabrication techniques, such as controlled faux rust finishes applied to aluminum. The rusted-steel look is created in a controlled environment and sealed at the desired stage, ensuring the finish does not continue to degrade after installation.
How does Latitude maintain a fully integrated process from design through installation?
Carey refers to working with Latitude as hitting the “easy button” for clients. The company manages design, manufacturing and installation with minimal outsourcing. If an issue arises, it is addressed directly and resolved by the same team that handles the project from start to finish.
As AI and other technologies enter the industry, Latitude Signage + Design continues to evaluate how to incorporate these tools into its work while remaining consistent with its culture. Technology will continue to evolve, but Latitude’s approach remains rooted in the same principle it began with—taking care of clients through its team and the collaborative process behind every project.
Architectural Signage Planning and Design for Complex Environments
Architectural signage planning and design has become a core planning discipline within the built environment rather than a decorative afterthought. Healthcare systems, corporate campuses, education facilities and mixed-use developments rely on clear wayfinding and branded elements to support user experience, regulatory compliance and long-term asset consistency. Executives responsible for commissioning these services face a recurring obstacle: signage must align with brand standards and architectural intent while meeting code requirements and remaining feasible to manufacture and install within budget.
Projects often falter when planning, design and fabrication are fragmented across separate firms. Message hierarchies may be thoughtfully conceived, yet impractical to build. Fabricators may inherit drawings that lack installation foresight. Compliance details may surface late, prompting redesign and delay. The result is inefficiency, cost escalation and diluted brand expression. Leadership teams benefit from a model that treats signage as an integrated system grounded in architectural documentation and informed by production realities from the outset.
Successful engagements begin with disciplined planning rooted in building plans. A capable partner evaluates architectural drawings, identifies required sign locations and develops coordinated location plans and message schedules aligned with local, state and national codes. This planning-stage rigor reduces ambiguity and creates a shared framework among architects, facilities teams and marketing leaders. When the wayfinding structure is clearly structured, creative exploration proceeds within defined parameters rather than assumptions.
Design excellence must also translate into buildable solutions. Concept development that produces multiple options allows stakeholders to evaluate visual direction, material expression and brand presence before committing to production drawings. Yet the concept alone is insufficient. Detailed documentation that anticipates manufacturing methods, material behavior and installation sequencing limits production issues. The closer the collaboration between designers and fabricators, the greater the likelihood that aesthetic intent and physical execution remain aligned.
Material innovation and environmental awareness are shaping expectations as well. Advancements in digital printing have expanded possibilities for wall graphics produced directly on site, reducing reliance on traditional vinyl applications and limiting waste. Controlled finishing techniques can achieve desired visual effects while maintaining long-term stability once installed. These developments reflect a broader expectation that signage partners remain attentive to technology shifts while preserving craftsmanship and quality.
Organizational depth further distinguishes reliable providers. Experience accumulated across decades equips teams to anticipate common pitfalls, apply value engineering when budgets tighten and resolve unforeseen issues without prolonged disruption. Consistency of personnel fosters institutional knowledge that benefits repeat clients managing multi-phase developments or portfolio-wide brand refreshes. When accountability remains internal rather than dispersed across subcontractors, response time improves and corrective action is more direct.
Latitude Signage + Design aligns closely with these expectations. Established in 1985 and grown into a 100-person organization, it operates through a design-build model encompassing planning, design, manufacturing and installation within one integrated operation. Its experiential graphic design team develops coordinated location plans and message schedules from architectural drawings before advancing to concept and production documentation. In-house manufacturing and installation provide continuity, enabling direct collaboration between designers and fabricators and reducing reliance on external parties. For executives overseeing complex environments or rebranding initiatives, it presents a disciplined, end-to-end approach grounded in planning rigor, technical fluency and accountable execution.
...Read more
