TransDev’s buildings showcase how plastic signage can transform the look of traditional offices.

TransDev has been an established business on the Dawkins Road Industrial Estate in Poole for over 40 years. As it has grown, adding divisions, storage and production space, it has invested in additional commercial space. A diverse but complimentary portfolio of operations are now split across the industrial estate, including pulley, sprocket and gear manufacturing, special belt production, plastics and a large distribution operation.

TransDev have six buildings, housing offices, warehousing and production facilities, with 100 staff and over £4 million of motion component stock. A large manufacturing and distribution operation, meant that inbound and outbound deliveries from numerous courier and logistics companies needed careful managing. The diversity and location of the TransDev buildings posed its own unique challenges and various signs had been historically created to manage access and directions. The existing signage also did not fully communicate the activities undertaken by the company and what TransDev could offer; an opportunity missed in promoting to estate visitors and workers who passed by.

The Opportunity

Clearly there was an opportunity to create a unified and considered image, that would tie together the buildings and help visitors when on-site, whilst promoting the TransDev business. With new branding now firmly established the decision was made to work with local signage company Think Signs on creating new signage for the TransDev building estate.

The objectives of creating a uniform approach to signage were coupled with making a strong statement and visual impression to all visitors approaching the industrial estate. Existing industrial estate signage was in poor condition and had developed over many years into a confusing mess of names, logos and unit numbers on a single shabby board, with an out of date map. Clear directional signage was required by TransDev at key locations and each building needed to help advertise what TransDev did across all of its operations.

The final requirement was to exploit TransDev’s plastic signage expertise and the Irpen plastics product range to help showcase the possibilities it offered for exhibitions and signage. TransDev are major stockists of the Policril Acrylic and Iribond Aluminum panels, which are ideal for outdoor signage projects. TransDev already supply sign and graphics companies across Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire with plastics and machining services and so it was to a local Poole based customer, Think Signs, that they turned to for help with their own project.

The Solution

Following a full audit of each building fascia and reviews of other signage on the estate and further afield a creative brief was developed. The resulting in-house designs were bold and reflected the need for impactful graphics. Each building benefits from the common design theme and it is consistently applied. Product and divisional colours were utilised to identify operational areas and product ranges, matching the colours found in the catalogue and online. Where empty gaps remained in the fascia graphics a subtle blue tinted anniversary icon was used to underline the heritage of the TransDev business. Totems were designed with maps of the estate and the key TransDev buildings identified to aid visitors via T1-T6 badging, with the first building viewed on entering the estate deliberately badged as T6.

After a series of visuals were agreed Think Signs advised on the best way to install and adapt the designs for the specific requirements of the building fascias. They also helped maximise sheet utilisation thereby minimising waste and keeping the project within its budget. A twin post totem style was chosen to maximise the durability of these signs.

Policril Acrylic plastics supplied by TransDev were used for 3D lettering and graphics, along with vinyls for detailing. The cutting out of plastics was undertaken both by TransDev and Think Signs. Sign trays were also manufactured from TransDev supplied blue Iribond aluminum composite sheet by Think Signs. Both materials offered excellent weather and UV resistance and with a broad colour range enabled close matches to the TransDev brand colours. The totems also featured the TransDev anniversary icon on their reverse, with the use of vinyl and raised acrylic lettering used to provide further depth and impact.