Signworld Group

Bringing Art Deco character back to 5 New York Street, Manchester.

Signworld Group was proud to be appointed as the signage contractor for the new signage scheme at 5 New York Street, working alongside CubicWorks and Bruntwood SciTech, with wayfinding design specialists Placemarque.

This Grade II-listed building, originally constructed between 1905 and 1909 as a major telephone exchange, has a fascinating history, from surviving the Christmas 1940 bombing raids to its transformation into modern flexible workspaces.

Following the building’s refurbishment by CubicWorks, our brief was to manufacture and install a signage scheme that complemented its distinctive Art Deco interior.

The project included:
• 10mm brushed aluminium painted letters with warm-white halo illumination
• Bespoke internal wayfinding signs featuring reeded vinyl and gold barrel fixings
• Profile-cut and printed reeded manifestations
• Brushed aluminium locker number plates with screen-printed numerals

Every detail was designed to feel considered, authentic and inviting, while respecting the character of this remarkable building.

A fantastic project made possible by close collaboration between all the teams involved. We’re incredibly proud of what we delivered together.

Signage that respects the past while welcoming the future.

A great business deserves a great first impression.

Your building speaks before your team does.

Whether it's a client arriving for a meeting, a customer visiting for the first time, or a potential partner driving past, your signage is often the first interaction they have with your brand.

If it's hard to find, outdated, or doesn't reflect the quality of your business, you're losing opportunities before the conversation even begins.

Professional signage isn't just about visibility. It's about trust, confidence, and making sure your business looks as good as the work you deliver.

Because first impressions aren't made inside the building; they're made before someone walks through the door.

An address tells people where you are.

Your sign tells them who you are.

Before someone walks through your doors, they’ve already formed an impression of your business, often without knowing anything about what happens inside.

That’s the power of a well-designed sign.

It doesn’t simply identify a location.

It gives the location an identity.

What does your building say about your business before you say a word?

Two businesses can operate from almost identical buildings.

Same location.
Same quality of service.
Same ambition.

Yet one can feel established, credible and worth walking into, while the other feels forgettable.

The difference isn't always the building.

Sometimes, it's how the building presents itself.

Signage isn't simply identification. It's part of the perception your brand creates before the first conversation begins.

Most brands try to be louder.

The smartest brands choose to be different.

Attention isn't won by adding more. It's earned by breaking the pattern with purposeful design, bold thinking, and memorable ex*****on.

At Signworld Group, we create signage and branding solutions that make people stop, look, and remember.

Because visibility isn't enough.

Your brand should be unforgettable.

Your brand is speaking every single day.

Through your storefront.

Your office.

Your vehicle graphics.

Your interior spaces.

Your signage.

The real question is:

Can people hear it clearly?

Great branding isn’t about being louder. It’s about being impossible to ignore.

At Signworld Group, we create signage and branding solutions that make every interaction with your business count.

Because your brand deserves to be seen, remembered, and trusted.

A common misconception in business is that branding begins when a customer walks through the door.

In reality, it begins from the other side of the street.

Long before a conversation, a proposal, or a purchase, people are already forming opinions about your business. They judge your professionalism, credibility, and attention to detail within seconds.

That's why signage isn't an expense: it's one of the few marketing assets that works 24/7 without asking for attention.

The businesses that win aren't always the ones with the best product.
They're often the ones that are remembered first.

What do you think makes a stronger first impression, a great sign or a great sales pitch? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Your competition isn't only competing on price.

They're competing for attention.

Every person who walks past your business makes a decision in seconds.

Do they notice you?

Do they remember you?

Or do they walk straight past?

Visibility isn't a finishing touch.

It's part of your competitive advantage.

Three seconds.

That's often all you get.

Before someone decides whether to walk in...

Keep walking...

Or remember your business at all.

Signage isn't just about displaying a name.

It's about earning attention in the few seconds that matter most.

Because if your business doesn't make people pause...

Someone else's will.

Imagine walking down a busy street.

You pass ten businesses.

Nine of them give you nothing to remember.

One makes you stop.

Not because it shouted the loudest.

Because it gave you a reason to look.

A blank wall isn't just unused space.

It's a missed opportunity to tell your story before anyone walks through the door.

Your building already exists.

The question is…

Does anyone remember it?