Studio Dzo

123 hard hats—each one decorated and signed by a NOVO employee—we designed this brand aligned installation for NOVO Constructions new headquarters in Austin, Texas.⁠
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A single black hard hat marks Austin, where NOVO’s headquarters call home, creating a focal point within a piece that represents the company’s reach and, more importantly, its people.⁠
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Projects like this remind us that environmental graphics can do more than identify a space—they can tell a story, celebrate a culture, and create a lasting connection.⁠
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You can see this and everything else we brought to this project on our site linked in our bio.⁠
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The sights and sounds of a great install.⁠
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We clipped together moments from our recent Cisco’s installation with the teams at Preacher and Favor — from fabrication details and install shots to the sounds of Austin and a well-earned breakfast afterward.⁠
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Projects like these are always about more than the sign itself. They’re about collaboration, community, and celebrating places that have meant something to Texans for generations. A pretty great way to kick off the week.⁠
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Kristina breaks down FCO: flat cut out letters. A simple, effective way to add dimension without overwhelming a space. Commonly used in architectural and commercial signage, FCO lettering delivers a clean, precise look with bold impact. Minimal profile, maximum presence.⁠
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What even is a nit, and what is a lumen—and why should we care?⁠
⁠An expert from helped us understand better Sign Expo⁠
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Nits measure brightness at the surface of a display (what your eye actually sees coming off the sign). Lumens measure brightness at the source (how much light the system produces before it’s shaped, filtered, or diffused).⁠
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On paper, that sounds simple. In practice, it’s where good signage gets separated from guesswork.⁠
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Because light isn’t static. It shifts with environment, angle, time of day, and even color rendering. A sign that reads perfectly at noon can fall apart at night if brightness, color, and contrast aren’t properly coordinated. That balance—day to night, ambient to illuminated—is what keeps a brand consistent in the real world, not just in design files.⁠
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These measurements are becoming more critical as displays and illuminated systems show up everywhere. And for designers, they’re not just technical specs—they’re part of protecting visual integrity.⁠
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Getting this right is what ensures a brand looks like itself in every condition. That consistency is what separates intentional design from simple fabrication.⁠
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At Expo, Ashley from their Lighting Control Specialist, walked us through some of the LED technology that helps bring illuminated signage to life.⁠
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RGBW Modules: Traditional RGB LEDs can create color, but often produce an off-white when set to white. RGBW modules include a dedicated white diode for a true pure or warm white light while still retaining color-changing capabilities.⁠
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DMX / PWM: Different methods used to power and control LED modules and lighting systems.⁠
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Pixelated Lights: Individually addressable LEDs that allow each light to be controlled separately for more dynamic lighting effects.⁠
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Universes: Refers to the number of LEDs that can be controlled on a single power/control module.⁠
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Kelvin Scale: Measures color temperature. Lower numbers like 2700K create a warmer, yellow-toned light, while higher numbers like 6500K produce a crisp, bright white often used for building signage.⁠
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Understanding these terms — and the capabilities and limitations of LED technology — helps us accurately specify lighting systems for our fabrication partners and create signage that performs exactly as intended.⁠
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