Celebrating Women In Signage

Women In Signage

This March we celebrate International Women’s Day and take immense pride in shining a spotlight on the remarkable women who contribute their passion, expertise, and vision to isGroup Signs. These talented individuals are a huge part of our innovative designs, flawless installations, and exceptional client experiences.

At isGroup 30% of our staff, including key roles such as the managing director, sales manager, business development manager, purchasing supervisor, graphic designer, and marketing assistant, are women, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity in the workplace.

In this article, we meet four of these incredible women in their roles at isGroup.

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Jane Whitehouse, Managing Director

Jane’s husband, John was a signwriter and started the company in 1981. Jane joined the company in 1985 to take on the administration and management of the company whilst John concentrated on sales. Today, Jane is the Managing Director of isGroup Signs and is incredibly proud that isGroup is recognised by peers in the signage industry and our customers for excellent service, innovative products and the professionalism of our personnel which has resulted in numerous awards over the decades at national signage awards, most recently receiving a silver award in the architectural signage category. Jane is also proud of being instrumental in the development of the WAY2GO range of internal and external signage.

Jane’s essentials for success in the signage industry;

“To provide good advice on what signage is or is not required to the client and so developing trust”

“To manufacture high quality goods combined with excellent customer care”

“To be innovative with the materials we utilise to improve our and our client’s carbon footprint”

Speaking about being a female entrepreneur in the signage industry:

“When I started in the industry it was male dominated in the personnel employed and the clients we dealt with. I attended many events with John or a male salesperson and although I was MD the default for male suppliers, customers etc was to talk to John and ignore me. You just have to persevere and speak up to give your point of view to be heard.”

Jane is motivated to keep innovating, moving forward and improving productivity to remain relevant and the advice Jane would give to young aspiring female entrepreneurs is to “stay strong and believe in yourself and in what you can achieve”.

Jane’s inspiring women:

“Being a trained nurse myself, Florence Nightingale for the advances she brought to nursing and pushed forward for the good of others. Emily Pankhurst and the Suffragette movement for pushing for the emancipation of women. For current generations I would say a young woman of 23 Greta Thunberg who presses on world leaders the threats to the natural work if economies do not change their reliance on fossil fuels.”

 

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Daina Drungilaite, Purchasing Supervisor

Daina’s journey at isGroup Signs began in 2015 and reflects not just her personal growth but also the company’s commitment to nurturing female talent within the signage industry. Graduating from Bangor University with a degree in Business Management, Daina found herself drawn to isGroup Signs due to our reputation for innovation and dedication to staff development.

Throughout her time at isGroup, Daina has been able to expand her professional qualifications with her attainment of an Iosh Managing Safely qualification, underlining her commitment to safety and best practices within the signage industry. Daina was also added to a career development programme and gained a Level 2, Institute of Leadership and Management qualification.

“The most exciting part of my job is that every single project is different and uses a variety of innovative materials and technologies.”

In her role, Daina collaborates closely with internal teams to understand material requirements and ensure timely procurement, vital for supporting ongoing projects. She navigates potential supply chain hurdles with finesse, maintaining strong relationships with isGroup suppliers and streamlining procurement processes to ensure operational efficiency.

Daina’s approach to procurement extends beyond logistics; she is a sustainability champion, actively seeking to minimise the environmental impact of isGroup processes. By working closely with suppliers, Daina ensures that materials are sourced and utilised in a manner that aligns with eco-friendly practices, underscoring isGroup’s commitment to environmental responsibility.

Daina has encountered numerous impressive signage projects over the years, each with its unique challenges and triumphs. Here’s some photos from her favourite signage project at IM Properties.

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Alessia Powell, Graphic Designer

Alessia has always been interested in all things ‘arty’ but during university she studied illustration and began with traditional hand drawing and hand print processes. Alessia developed her graphic design skills during her time at university and became more creative with digital drawing and typography. This all lead to her interest in visual communication which is really important for signage.

When asked about her creative process when designing signage for clients, Alessia said;

“I begin by understanding the client’s vision and goals, this may involve meetings and writing up a brief that reflect their ideas. I find visual ideas often help me and the client understand an overall idea of what they are after, what materials they like etc. Then I will create initial design concepts based on this that I show to clients and ask for feedback to be able to refine into a final design”.

Alessia balances creativity with technical requirements by collaborating closely with the CAD and production teams. Alessia is part of both the graphics and production team which is useful when designing and manufacturing signs as this allows for collective oversight of projects from start to finish. Ensures that designs not only look great but also are feasible to produce within technical constraints, Alessia works with colleagues to maintain communication with clients and always pays thorough attention to client feedback.

One of the most rewarding projects Alessia worked on was her very first project. It was for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee event; we were challenged to design a temporary wayfinding scheme around the Tower of London. There were tight deadlines, but the successful execution and positive feedback made her first project a great one.

Alessia’s advise for young graphic designers who are interested in the signage industry;

“Embrace your creativity and unique perspective. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or voice your ideas, get stuck in with all processes and constantly learn from those around you.”

Alessia’s inspiring women:

“My mum – cliché I know! But she raised three kids single-handedly while working and still managed to pursue a degree in Psychology. Her strength, independence, and unapologetic authenticity remind me daily that I can overcome any challenge and achieve my goals.”

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Julie Morris, Business Development Manager

Julie’s approach to identifying new business opportunities is as diverse as the signs we create. Julie enjoys identifying new business leads to support isGroup and WAY2GO, she’s always thinking about signage and will look out for customers potential signage needs throughout each day. As well as keeping in touch with existing clients, Julie works closely with Marketing at isGroup to approach new clients to address their signage needs. Julie enjoys dealing with customers in person and over the phone and attends networking and business events to build relationships with clients and find new customers.

Prior to working at isGroup, Julie had an admin role but found that she missed the customer interaction so with her children now older, Julie started her journey back into sales moving into the position of Business Development Manager at isGroup.

For women aspiring to break into business development, Julie’s advice is simple:

“My advice would be to listen to the customers request, take it in, action it, and update them along the way.  If you find yourself needing advice speak to colleagues or call the customer for clarification.”

In an industry where change is constant, Julie’s adaptability shines through. She embraces sustainable signage practices and innovative solutions like WAY2GO, ensuring cost-effectiveness and environmental consciousness go hand in hand. Collaborating seamlessly with our estimating and graphics teams, Julie ensures clarity in customer requirements and punctuality in delivery. Julie offers suggestions to clients based on their budgets often thinking about alternative materials and grouping installations together to save time and money.

Julie’s inspiring women;

“The first person which came to mind was Lady Diana, as I loved her zest for life and how within reason didn’t let the rules of the Royal Family restrict her views, i.e. she wasn’t concerned about walking through a minefield or shaking hands/hugging people if it helped raise awareness for the cause. Although she was royalty she was also not concerned about showing her feelings, or doing things like taking her kids to Alton Towers etc.”

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As we celebrate International Women’s Day, the women of isGroup serve as a testament to the invaluable contributions of women in the signage industry and beyond. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to excellence exemplify the spirit of empowerment and progress that defines isGroup Signs and the wider community.

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