Signage for the new space

[Ron Bean]

Has anyone looked up the rules in Milwaukee for signs, murals, big
rooftop sculptures, etc?

I'm thinking we need something like the old animated neon signs, but
with LEDs. (Real neon would be cool too-- we do have a resident expert).

[jason gessner]

a quick search turns up this:

http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Public/DNS/pdf/broc/SignBrochure.pdf

from this page:

http://city.milwaukee.gov/FireInspection

-jason

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-jason

[Ron Bean]

>http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Public/DNS/pdf/broc/SignBrochure.pdf

Hmm, 18 square feet isn't much for a building that size.

I'm wondering if there might be a loophole somewhere, considering that
the building is visible from three sides.
We'll also need signs on at least two doors.

For individual letters, do they count the space between the
letters? I think it would be cool to have letters that light up in
sequence, but maybe the effect would get stale after a while...

[Elizabeth]

The Makerspace is not a retail business, so we will have to find out
exactly which rules apply. Gordon says DO NOT buy the sign until you
have the permit, regardless of what anyone tells you.

Here's another reference page from the city:

http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityDCD/build/pdfs/signs.pdf

-Elizabeth

[Shane]

Buy?

> http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityDCD/build/pdfs/sign...
>
> -Elizabeth

[Elizabeth]

Well, yes, I understand we might manufacture our own sign. But the
city code probably specifies what materials may or may not be used.
There is probably also a rule about signs that light up.

-Elizabeth

[Shane]

Rules will not stop us. Sanity will not stop us. We will
prevail.... :D

[Kevin Crowley]

When dealing with signage the only  thing to remember is that no matter what the rules are the Zoning board/commission/jack booted thugs/commissars/Stalinists/fascists/Mrs Grundys/Daleks will mess with you because they can.

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[Jim Rawson]

Maybe not insulting the people who will be helping us with the process would be advisable.

 

[the_digital_dentist]

How about a big POV thing that projects on the side of the building with a laser?  Let the signage inspectors try to classify that!

[jason gessner]

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 5:04 AM, Jim Rawson <taxi...@gmail.com> wrote:

Maybe not insulting the people who will be helping us with the process would be advisable.

 

To add to Jim's point, please remember that this is a publicly archived list!  Be careful with what you write, please.

-jason

[ChrisH]

Personally, I'd want the outside sign to be a little reserved.

I'd hate for MMS to be looked upon by its immediate neighbors as a blight, because the new-fancy sign is visually annoying to people that might live in the immediate vicinity of the building.

Perhaps another idea might be some sort of moving sculpture..

Something that starts off as the MMS logo, and through the power of motors & engineering, "disassembles" itself into smaller pieces, then "reassembles" itself back into the logo..

I just daydreamed up something else, too: multiple counter-balanced elements that swing slowly back and forth, which when viewed along a specific axis, come together to form the logo.

I'm not very good at explaining things in text, but could draw a few pictures on a whiteboard on Tuesday if anyone is interested.

-Chris

[Adam Cohen]

Are there any rules about murals?

[Brent Bublitz]

I vote mural. We have acres of unbroken brick facing to do something
with and at tiny sign would just look pathetic.

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 7:34 AM, Adam Cohen
<adam.cohe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Are there any rules about murals?
>

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>
>

[Matt Wittmann]

How about large wood letters

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[Have Blue]

We could also ask Frankie if his Fab Meth architecture students want to toss out any nifty ideas:

http://architektur-fabrikation.blogspot.com/

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[Mike Massie]

It would be cheeky to embed some Augmented Reality into a sign. Gives us more room than the city limits if you're looking through an AR viewer. ;)

http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/augmented-reality-with-processing-tutorial-processing/

On Sunday, October 21, 2012 9:04:20 PM UTC-5, Ron Bean wrote:

[Ron Bean]

>How about a big POV thing that projects on the side of the building with a
>laser? Let the signage inspectors try to classify that!

Maybe we could make a deal with the McDonald's franchisee to project
things from their roof...

I think we'd want to project on a lighter background than the brick.
That side of the building was some kind of siding covering an area where
a large window was bricked in. But the part that's most visible from KK
is the southeast corner, which is red brick.

[Massie, Mike]

Then it should be interactive and respond to the traffic and the people going by... or maybe what is going on inside.

[Pete Prodoehl]

The great thing is, we're going to need a lot of signs!

Besides the "big sign" on the outside of the building (which we'll be at the mercy of local zoning regulations for) we will have plenty of indoor signs.

Shane started working on some restroom idea signs, but we're going to have a wood shop, machine shop, classroom, lounge(?), etc... each distinct space could do with a sign.

I'm all for using "appropriate" materials where we can for each sign. So for instance, the wood shop sign be created with wood, perhaps the CNC router, etc. Machine shop sign out of metal, using the mill(?) or whatever other machines are in that space... this might not work for all signs, but making them using our capabilities would be cool. (And yeah, 3D printed and laser-cut signs... of course!)

Also, we can always make new signs if we get sick of them. ;)


Pete

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[Have Blue]

I've always been a fan of the backlit opaque logo signage:
http://www.studioafter5.com/sa5wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/IMG_5152.jpg

The makerspace logo is well suited to the effect, and we could even have
RGB LEDs for the illumination so that the logo could slowly change
colors, or maybe have the color based on some other factor (like the
flame on top of the Wisconsin Gas building, but perhaps nerdier than
weather).

[Brent Bublitz]

Paint the QR code for the website on the building, 12 feet tall.

> --
>
>
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[Adam Cohen]

I was serious about looking at murals.  I know a good artist that would seriously consider doing one.  All that brick would make a might fine canvass.

[Brent Bublitz]

I'll double down on the mural thing as well. I would love to see that.

We can also do a raised version of our logo with lights behind it.

> --
>
>
>

[Jerry [HM]]

I vote for the second part of your comment..

Raised logo with lights would be nice. With all the tools and skills sets
available something nice, clean, professional should be done.


I'm not sold on any 'mural'.. my fear would be the image it may portray?

Will people really 'look' at it? Or will it be lumped into 'graffiti art'..
or something that may be associated with ' amateur/un-professional'?

Don't get me wrong.. I like art, graffiti, murals, painting..etc I just
want to explore the impact it will have on people outside looking in. Do
they know (or care) what a Makerspace is? Will the mural make it more
inviting? (an eyesore to locals?)

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[Have Blue]

I have to agree with Jerry (though I'm not a member, so I really don't
get a say). Murals are nice, but I'm not sure if one would convey the
sort of image that the space is trying to present. (unless the mural
featured robots, CNC equipment, and sharks with frikkin' lasers)

[Shane]

I think that there are multiple options here.

I vote mural, and I would suggest contacting Dena Nord to do it.
She's got some pretty amazing painting skills and her and Jason H's
connections within the art community would certainly get it seen and
maybe featured in various places....

I've got my own plans, as well. I'm still clearing up some clutter,
but the gist is a full 3D version of our logo, done in bas relief,
about 4 feet in diameter and painted. I can't say more until I get a
prototype ready....

[Have Blue]

Of course, the building has 4 sides, so perhaps each one could have its
own theme...

[Pete Prodoehl]

Bucketworks knows a lot of mural artists as well, they've got some
amazing work over there.


Pete

[Joseph Bozarth]

I would like to see the AR sign. That would be pretty cool.

--

--
Joseph Bozarth

boz...@gmail.com

1(262)498-9762

[Pete Prodoehl]

4 sides...

What, you don't want a sign on the roof? ;)


P

[Shane]

Via Jason H., we could easily have some 2D murals and I could sculpt
them in 3D which would be accessible through an AR app.....

> boza...@gmail.com
> 1(262)498-9762

[Adam Cohen]

Giant Spray Paint Polar Plotter?

[Shane]

http://hackaday.com/2010/03/19/graffiti-machine-sprays-for-you/

That is all.

On Oct 22, 11:30 am, Adam Cohen <adam.cohen.mail...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Giant Spray Paint Polar Plotter?

[Tom Gralewicz]

How about a giant XY plotter on the roof using chalk, every time it rains we print something new up there.

--

--
Tom Gralewicz
Miller Electronics Recycling
(414) 380-1716
www.deadcomputers.com

[Shane]

I have no objection and, in fact, am in favor of this.


...As long as I'm not solely responsible for coming up with new
designs.... :D

On Oct 22, 11:38 am, Tom Gralewicz <m...@ieee.org> wrote:
> How about a giant XY plotter on the roof using chalk, every time it rains
> we print something new up there.
>

[Adam Cohen]

On Monday, October 22, 2012 11:38:33 AM UTC-5, Tom Gralewicz wrote:

How about a giant XY plotter on the roof using chalk, every time it rains we print something new up there.

Not a big fan of the mural idea?   I can understand that.

[Tom Gralewicz]

Wall murals are great, the issue I have had in the past is the artists like to get paid for big paintings :-)

Also, a sing goes through the city approval board, a mural will likely need city council approval, start with Alderman Zelinski and you will need plenty of details before they approve it - size, location, material and likely a scale drawing.

Tom

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[Massie, Mike]

I love the idea of some sort of permanent XY Plotter on the building side that could chalk paint something new each week/day/month... even run competitions on featured art that gets printed to special event billboards.

[Jason Hilleshiem]

We definitely need to put up a Location AR spot! I'll see if I can get in touch with our alderman, maybe he can pull some strings.

-Jason H

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 12:02 PM, Massie, Mike <mi...@michaelmassie.com> wrote:

I love the idea of some sort of permanent XY Plotter on the building side that could chalk paint something new each week/day/month... even run competitions on featured art that gets printed to special event billboards.

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[Have Blue]

Other signage idea:  A wall-sized addressable grid that can be controlled from a web page.  Imagine if passers-by could play tetris on the building like the MIT hack:  http://hacks.mit.edu/Hacks/by_year/2012/tetris/

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[Ron Bean]

>4 sides...
>What, you don't want a sign on the roof? ;)

I like the idea, but I still want to put solar panels up there.

Also, the side toward the alley isn't really that visible, is it?

[Shane]

What about the bank clock idea?

Magnets on a grid that have black on one side and a bright color on
the other (I'm thinking orange)....

On Oct 22, 12:28 pm, Ron Bean <makersp...@rbean.users.panix.com>
wrote:

[Pete Prodoehl]

It is when you're driving through the alley. :)

Also, we need "MEMBER PARKING ONLY!" signs on the side facing the alley.


Pete

[Have Blue]

On 10/22/2012 1:36 PM, Pete Prodoehl wrote:

Also, we need "MEMBER PARKING ONLY!" signs on the side facing the alley.

With a line below saying "VIOLATING VEHICLES WILL BE PLACED IN THE HACK RACK"

[Brent Bublitz]

Gang - What about the qr code on the roof, large enough for Google
earth to pick it up.

> --
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[Pete Prodoehl]

I'm reminded of this...

  http://www.hackpittsburgh.org/wiki/index.php?title=HackSignal

  http://benkrasnow.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-searchlight-housing-for-1000w-xenon.html

No good photos, but it's in the book "Hack This"


Pete

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[Kevin Bastyr]

A 10,000 sq foot building top QR code?  Like this one:

http://crazybigqrcode.com/

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[Shane]

I think we should do an over-sized Lego sculpture garden.

Something visible via satellite....

[Jerry [HM]]

Done in solar panels? :)

-----Original Message-----
From: milwaukee...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:milwaukee...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Brent Bublitz
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 1:47 PM
To: milwaukee...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [MakerSpace] Re: Signage for the new space

--

[Ron Bean]

>> Also, we need "MEMBER PARKING ONLY!" signs on the side facing the alley.
>
>With a line below saying "VIOLATING VEHICLES WILL BE PLACED IN THE
>HACK RACK"

How about something more direct, like "Violating vehicles will be
disassembled"

[Brent Bublitz]

How about something with the forklift and putting cars on the roof
until the owners ask for them back.

> --
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[Pete Prodoehl]

"Violating vehicles will be TRANSFORMED"

We'd need an appropriate graphic though...


Pete

[Ron Bean]

>>> Also, we need "MEMBER PARKING ONLY!" signs on the side facing the alley.

>How about something with the forklift and putting cars on the roof
>until the owners ask for them back.

I like it.

[Kevin Crowley]

Before doing any parking lot signs or painting stripes for a parking lot.

http://www.ada.gov/restribr.htm

As long as you DO NOT post a sign or paint stripes you do not have to create a handicap space.  The minute you do, you have to create at least one and if you only have one space it must be van accessible.

Other types of fixing of grounds and remodeling can trigger other ADA requirements.  Some more onerous that others.  Some so stupidly written it allows a power operated door to open into the person trying to use the door. or having the button so far from the door and the cycling on the door so short that only rocket propelled chairs can get through the door.  While this would be no problem for a member a visitior may find it difficult.

I've been dealing with issues of handicap accessibility since I was in grade school being, as I was, the primary wheelchair pusher for my Aunt who had CP.
Did a 5 story building with no elevator once and in defiance of the law of gravity up is easier than down.

Kevin

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[Pete Prodoehl]

I'm not against having an accessible building or parking lot...

Though much of this may be determined by the building owners, working with the Board of Directors if required.


Pete

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[Kevin Crowley]

The post was an FYI.  ADA has triggers for when somethings have to happen based on certain types of work being done on a property or certain dollar amount or a combination therein. The basic trigger is that when you improve or do something significant to a part of a property there is a good chance you will be required to make that part ADA compliant.  There is often a Catch-22 element involved in this process. If  a trigger occurs to require a handicap space be made that may trigger the entrance be made ADA compliant and if the entrance is ADA compliant then the bathrooms and the interior spaces may be required to be ADA  compliant. 

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[Pete Prodoehl]

Yup... the Board met with Tom and Dennis on Saturday and went over much of that.

As much as we're all itching to move, there's a lot of preliminary things that will need to happen first... it's all in process. :]


Pete

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[Kevin Crowley]

That's good I've seen business go out of business when they didn't plan for ADA

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[Dennis]

Tom and I have an architect advising us on the ADA requirements that our building upgrades will require.

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--
Dennis

[Ron Bean]

>Tom and I have an architect advising us on the ADA requirements that our
>building upgrades will require.

Anecdote on ADA requirements: At one place I worked, we replaced a
toilet and discovered that the tank was *too tall* to fit under the grab
rail on the wall. We "solved" it by removing the rail. But, you would
think the manufacturer would have thought of this.

And BTW we did have a disabled employee at one time, but she was female
and this was in the men's room...