Libby Clifford: Educating the Next Generation of Sign-Makers

Can you tell us about how you came to be in the signage industry?

I fell into this industry as a creative person who has always loved working with people, especially in fun and creative environments. When I started my career, I discovered a love for graphic design and looking around in day-to-day life I saw that signage was an area that needed graphic designers. After getting a job in the industry, I fell in love with it.

Could you tell us more about Make it Happen Signage Consultancy and the new workshop you have started?

There are two sides to the business – product sales and workshops and training. Sam Armstrong (founder and chief executive officer of Make it Happen) and I, predominantly work on the training side, and Katie Asken (director) runs the product sales side of the business with Zoe Wilkins-Read (consultant). We are a great team and have a lot of fun creating workshop content and assisting clients with their signage needs!

Sam created her workshops because she identified a gap in the market; there is so much to learn in the world of signage, and no specific training for it. The aim was to offer the industry an ongoing opportunity to keep enhancing skills and knowledge through education.

Make it Happen now have a series of workshops and The First Drill, our latest workshop, is designed to give newcomers to signage the chance to gain firsthand knowledge of signage to help boost confidence in their new role. This means they can speak to clients with plenty of knowledge from the outset. Ultimately, it’s daunting discussing products and options when you don’t feel confident in what you are selling – we are here to help with that.

Can you give me a few examples of the type of topics you are teaching at this newest bootcamp?

The First Drill combines the important and relevant elements of signage, at an introductory level – we touch upon artwork, different products (for example illumination), materials, installation, and what it takes to build someone’s brand.

We discuss the different terminology used in our industry; there are many names used for the same products, and this can be confusing when you are new. I know myself when I started if someone said ‘Dibond’ I had no idea what they were talking about, turns out it was just another way of asking for aluminium composite. You don’t know until you know, that’s why training is so key.

Would you have benefited from a workshop like this when you started?

100%. I fell into into the industry and the first company I worked for was quite small. I would quite often flip between sales and design and hated it when someone asked me a question and I couldn't confidently answer. Attending a workshop like The First Drill, the information provided would have helped to give me confidence to speak to clients with knowledge right from the start. It’s impossible to know everything about signage, but an overview of the different areas of our industry works wonders!

What are some of the more detailed products and parts of the industry you discuss in this new workshop?

We talk about advertisement consent, touch upon installation, artwork fundamentals, liquid metal coatings, built-up letters, special paint finishes, and point-of-sale (POS). Basically, there’s always something that is very popular and on trend, and you never know ahead of time what that could be.
I think when people come into the industry it can be very easy to be baffled by the sheer amount of signage, new products, and new innovations happening in the market. For example, we discuss a product called architectural film, which is very popular in the market.

How does it feel to teach people who are joining the signage industry?

It's really cool, especially because I am still quite new to it as well. The first workshop was pretty nerve wracking, especially when you are openly telling people you are really new to the industry, but that's the whole point of me doing these workshops.

Our workshops are very conversational; the attendees aren’t just learning from me but also each other

Sam has been doing this for 20 plus years and can bring a big wealth of knowledge and experience. My contribution is that I feel I can really connect with the younger people that come on the courses as we’ve got similar experiences. I can relate and answer gaps in their knowledge as I was in that same position not long ago.

Our workshops are very conversational; the attendees aren’t just learning from me but also each other.

What other workshops could participants take part in after The First Drill?

The Signage Bootcamp (our first workshop) gives a really comprehensive overview of fabricated and illuminated signage and is really good fun! It's all product based (with upsell tips) throughout the day, so you learn about a huge range of 3D signage. There's also a hands-on section so you can experience the skill behind making a sign. The workshop is very terminology based, which is essential for those working in the industry.

On The Front Line, is a workshop all about selling. This workshop is very interactive and suitable for anyone in the industry who is customer facing. It covers the whole sales process and always results in some interesting and dynamic discussions around social media, client discussions, sales tactics, what works (and what doesn’t!), and quite importantly – how to be the difference.

How important is it for the signage industry that there are these kinds of educational opportunities?

I think it's really important, especially when the industry is trying to bring the younger generation into the world of signage. A lot of the people that I've spoken to have ended up in signage by chance because of graphic design, creative outlets, or sales. We want to show the younger generation what is possible through training and how fun and exciting the world of signage can be.

We have a visitors’ centre in our training facility, including a ‘sustainability room’. It’s exciting that the signage industry is starting to explore sustainable signage, which is something that I believe will excite my generation. Our attendees get to see how truly creative they can be, not only in creating a sign but social media and virtual graphics. We really strive to inspire.

Can you tell us how often are these workshops and where can people find out more information?

Our workshops run every month in our training facility in Leicester and also at customer locations on request. You can also catch us at various sign and print events including The Sign Show this September. You can book online at www.makeih.co.uk and look at all the different dates we have available. If you want more information and to make an immediate booking, you can give us a call on 0116 2582513.
We're always here to help and guide people on what training course is best for them.