HISTORY

It was a dark and stormy night...  I have always chuckled over that famous play on words.  In a way, a play on words is what the art and science of visual communication - for marketing something -  is all about. 

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For me, my career began as a life and health insurance agent. At a very early age I discovered I had the ability to communicate ideas intangibly.

I did very well and learned very quickly, earning a nomination for qualification for the MDRT in my second year... an accomplishment that typically took many years to achieve.   All was going fine, until one Sunday morning I was convinced to quit the insurance game, and jump into a whole new career that I had no significant understanding of. 

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I entered the sign and graphics industry in 1985.

(and that whole story I am happy to tell - if you care to learn more sometime)

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Thankfully, ​God blessed me with so many exciting opportunities for working on projects from small to medium size to enormous... I learned fast because I had to.  I had a new baby and wife at home, and a very upset father-in-law who wasn't so sure about my new career move.

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Around 1995 or so, electric sign design began to drive my focus, and soon I was creating dynamic night-view illustrations and sign packet presentations for sign shops across the country.   I was learning how to engineer the structures and was slowly building a book of knowledge on how electric signs are done.  That became a source for my material for a 16 year writing career with S&DG magazine.   Yep, I was blessed to be paid to write about what I do, to a group of sign shop owners who could use my services.  God was very good to me!

in 2017, I began training sign designers through a course I created called: The Electric Sign Design Training Course.  

 

That led to becoming a presenter at the magazines 6 national GPXPO events of 2023.  A live 90 minute unscripted discussion that became a fun Q&A session with the 100+ in attendance. 

 

  I was then blessed to get hired as a contract trainer to teach the franchisee's designers of Fastsigns International (via Propelled Brands) on the electrical and attachment challenges of UL and NEC600, and how it affects the design side of the permitting process.  

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Without going on and on, I have a wealth of practical, hands-on experience in all related fields of outdoor advertising, signage, branding and visual identity.  I specialize in successful design for readability, visibility, emotional communication and how to win the battle over the variety of challenges that the viewers and readers must overcome in order for the sign to convey the message it's been charged with conveying.... phew!

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Give me a call - lets discuss your project.

 

Sincerely...

Matt Charboneau

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(shar-bo-no)

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