Signage To Honor Stars at NorthStar Foundation

North Omaha’s school-aged boys, traditionally beset by significant barriers to academic success, have found a path at NorthStar. With after-school programming that offers academic support, sports leagues, and career training, boys are prepared for life after graduation.

The NorthStar campus recently underwent a three-phase expansion that includes a fieldhouse, classrooms, art studio, a high ropes course, and much more. During this expansion, NorthStar worked with Latitude Signage Latimer Group to develop a donor recognition wall and a photo wall to recognize graduates from the program.

Creative Photo Wall Signage

“When the NorthStar Foundation approached us to design a photo wall honoring their graduates we wanted to avoid a basic grid of photos and come up with a display method to allow their graduates' portraits to really shine,” says Andrej Steinbergs, Environmental Graphic Designer.

Inspired by the star and colors in the NorthStar logo, Steinbergs created a photo wall that has a patriotic feel with stars and stripes. “We came with the approach of having the stripes break the plane of the wall and curve outward much like a flag waving in the wind,” Steinbergs says.

Vinyl stars serve as a placeholder for future graduates. When a graduate’s portrait is added to the display in an acrylic window frame, they cover up one of the stars. “In a sense, they become a star,” Steinbergs says.

Innovative Donor Wall Signage

The success of the NorthStar program is due in large part to the generous donors who keep investing in the North Omaha community. The donor recognition wall was a design challenge for Steinbergs because the canvas for the donor wall was a glass wall made of seven narrow glass panels. To create a cohesive design, Steinbergs opted for a three-dimensional approach.

“We wanted to create a donor recognition display with some dimensional stripes that would allow for the faces of the signs to project just beyond the mullions that divided the window panels,” says Steinbergs. “Notches were cut into each dimensional stripe which allowed for them to fit over and be almost flush with the face of the mullions. This, along with digitally printed translucent vinyl accent stripes created a nice effect on the glass and gave the composition some movement.”

Donor names were created with computer cut white vinyl which contrasts nicely with the blue and faux-brushed metal of the laminates. Since the donor wall is attached to a glass wall, Steinbergs included a little something extra for the people inside the room. “No one wants to look at the blank backside of a sign, so we place inspirational quotes on the side of the sign that faces the reading room,” says Steinbergs.

Architectural Signage Materials

Both projects were fabricated using wood, MDF and high-pressure blue and faux-metal laminates which echoed NorthStar's color palette. They were chosen for their durability as well as their striking finishes. “Bringing dimension to these signs makes them feel more thoughtful and important,” Steinbergs says. “These are not just plaques thrown on a wall to say thanks or good job. Especially for the boys, this signage says, ‘You are important. And when you work hard to graduate your photo is going to be put in a place of honor.’”

Signage Honors

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