Special Report
From cadet to craftsman: starting my sign making journey
Sign making is a huge profession with so many concepts and techniques falling under its umbrella. With so much to learn, assistant editor Benjamin Austin thought it would be a good idea to brush up on his knowledge and attend the newly established First Drill course at Make it Happen Signage Consultancy. Here’s how he got on...
T
he sign making industry is vast and highly skilled, and if done right, can
show the best in creativity and inventiveness. But to a green newcomer such as myself, it can be daunting. I have been writing about the field for
the last six months, learning as much of the vernacular and terminology I can to pass conversation with the experts, but I still feel there is so much more I need to get to grips with – and I’m sure I’m not the only one. With so many businesses starting up
or recruiting up-and-coming talent, it is important to get these people as adept at their new roles as possible and as quickly as possible. That’s where Make It Happen Signage
Consultancy comes in. For the past decade, it has helped budding starlets in the industry gain both knowledge and experience, as well as develop networks for people to talk to those with years of experience. Founded in 2016 by CEO Sam
Armstrong, it has helped so many and grown quite a reputation across those in the industry. It has run workshops monthly for
varying levels of experience and job roles, with its newest offering, The First Drill, aimed at those just starting their careers. At the time of writing, it had only
run three of these workshops, having started in January this year, but it has already gotten some strong and positive feedback from the industry. So, I thought it would be a good idea
to try it out for myself and join the ranks of the others marching down the path of a long career in signage.
Falling in line Heading to the SignFab headquarters in Leicester, I was greeted by Libby Clifford, who would be running the
| 54 | May/June 2025
workshop. With only two years of experience, she is new to the trade herself, but meant she understood what it felt like to join the industry. She said: “Sam and I discussed this
From left: Benjamin Austin, Libby Clifford, Piotr Porczak, Claire Owen, Sean Pigott, and Charlie Price I joined four others for the day, all
workshop, and we agreed it may be hard for an industry expert like her to try and step into the shoes of a brand-new starter. I, on the other hand, still know what it feels like to be new, and more importantly, what I would have loved to be told when I started. “We took inspiration from the signage
boot camp, but the thing is, if you’re brand new to this industry and you attend this course, the sheer amount of information and terminology may be overwhelming. “If I had something like this when I
started, I would’ve 100% appreciated it. It’s useful information, no matter what area of signage you’re in; understanding the whole process is key. I know for a fact that it would have massively boosted my confidence.”
with varying ranges of experience. First was Sean Pigott, who had been with South East sign makers, Lemboss, for six months. Though new to signs, he did bring decades of experience working in the print industry and was hoping to fill in the gaps of his knowledge. Staff from Europoint Manchester were also there as part of their basic training for their new roles. Claire Owen landed her job four weeks
prior, having accompanied her partner to a work do and made a good impression, while Piotr Porczak had only been at the company for three weeks, having made the career change from a job in IT. Last in the group was young Charlie
Price, who didn’t start his role until May 1, but was offered the opportunity to go to the workshop to get some knowledge before starting. All had come from completely different walks of life and explained how it was by
www.signupdate.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
