Tangram Design, LLC

04/07/2026

First I want to say thank you to all those who texted me, emailed me or messaged me off of this post to let me know that they were aware of my April Fools Day shenanigans and that they enjoyed the posts. But in the same breath I want to apologize to those who I may have offended by posting the gag posts.

For clarity: Tangram designed the sign. The animation was created using AI.

We had originally planned this as our final post in the April Fools’ series—and admittedly, I debated whether or not to share it. But in the spirit of closing things out and giving all a little levity, here it is.

Another follow up to our post on April 1, Tangram would like to share what we have been working on to help solve other popular concerns that have been presented as design challenges in our past projects.

Another most frequently proposed challenge by our clients:
Can the sign be designed to have the Messages be changed easily but it can not be an electronic reader board and not be one of those old school gas station message signs with the changeable plastic letters? It has to be a solution that can be changed over night easily and doesn’t require a lot of labor or equipment to be more economical.

To achieve this goal we got permission from the ministry of magic to negotiated with a small labor union of elves to perform this duty in the time frame and budget constraints of the clients. Our team developed this innovative prototype—that integrates “elfin magic” to achieve the goals that have been set forth by our client.

We are so happy on how our prototype of a message changing park identification sign that is not a digital board and can be performed in the middle of the night. The city manager loved this solution as the elves only worked for small clothing items and small baked goods. Labor force is unlimited. If you need more, all you need to do is get them wet and they will multiply.

This prototype reflects Tangram’s commitment to designing not just for aesthetics, but for adaptability, performance, and the evolving needs of the communities we serve.

04/01/2026

Tangram Design has partnered with cities, small towns, and parks and trails programs across the country to create impactful wayfinding signage systems. No matter the location, we consistently hear a common set of questions as we enter the design phase—how can signage be more adaptable, more visible, and more responsive to real-world conditions?
One of the most frequent challenges clients raise is visibility in dynamic environments:
Can signage adjust to accommodate snow removal? Can it remain effective when parking lots fill with vehicles and crowds during peak events?
In response, our team developed an innovative prototype—an electronically height-adjustable park identification sign designed to perform in real conditions, not just on paper.
We are so happy on how our prototype of an electronic height adjustable park identification sign performed in the environment that we wanted to share it. Grounds crews immediately recognized the operational benefits, with the ability to raise the sign for seamless snow removal and routine maintenance. At the same time, marketing teams are energized by the opportunity to adapt the sign’s visibility during large festivals and high-traffic events.
This prototype reflects Tangram’s commitment to designing not just for aesthetics, but for adaptability, performance, and the evolving needs of the communities we serve.

12/12/2025

One of the things we like to do when we go out to do our site surveys is taking the time to enjoy the local foods, culture and holiday celebrations.

12/04/2025

The Tangram Team, equipped with winter gear and high-visibility vests, surveyed and assessed the signs and streets of Newark, New Jersey yesterday. The weather was freezing, sleeting, and honestly miserable. But this didn’t deter our team—in fact, it gave us the opportunity to experience firsthand how the people of Newark navigate their streets in truly inclement conditions.
We believe that the most important phase of any wayfinding project is the initial on-site physical assessment of the environment. Tangram’s wayfinding methodology is heavily grounded in Neurodesign theories and research. We believe that one cannot truly develop a successful wayfinding signage program without physically experiencing and evaluating the environment themselves. Understanding how people’s behaviors and emotions are affected by the physical environment around them is essential to designing a wayfinding system that genuinely supports the needs of the specific environment it serves.

11/28/2025

The day before Thanksgiving. How do we get ready for Thanksgiving... We go out for a Korean Hotpot company lunch... Take time to be with your family friends, cats and dogs. Happy Thanksgiving to all... from all of us atTangram.

11/21/2025

From all of us at Tangram, we’re thrilled to congratulate our own George Lim, along with his SEGD Accessible Design Task Force colleagues Jessica Schrader and Simon Majarian, on receiving the SEGD Distinguished Member Award for their leadership and work on the rewriting of the new official accessible codes and guidelines for the built environment as it relates to signage.

Over the past several years, this team has devoted thousands of volunteer hours representing SEGD on the ICC A117.1 committee, which develops the “Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities” standard that shapes how buildings and public spaces function across the United States.

They have been active voices in shaping codes and guidelines that both protect accessibility and allow thoughtful, branded design systems to be implemented. For example, they helped challenge a proposed contrast formula that would have dramatically increased contrast requirements and eliminated certain color combinations already officially used by transit wayfinding programs. By increasing the contrast percentage, it could have resulted in limiting designers’ options for what color combinations could be used, resulting in more signs in black and white. Their advocacy helped maintain strong accessibility standards while preserving the flexibility designers, fabricators, and brands need to create environments that are both functional and visually engaging.

It is meticulous, behind the scenes work that few people volunteer for but everyone depends on, and it has a real impact on how people of all abilities experience the built environment.

Our team was grateful to attend the award ceremony and see George’s leadership, advocacy, and dedication to inclusive design recognized at this level. It’s an honor to have him leading the Tangram team as we continue pushing for environments that are both accessible and beautifully designed. Congratulations!

08/21/2025

I was forwarded this photo of myself, and my SEGD Accessibility Task Force colleagues, Simon Majarian and Jessica Schrader. Love this photo of us... it captures what I like the best after speaking at a conference. It is always a good feeling when members of the audience continue to engage with ya after the presentation has completed. We had so many attendees approach us to ask us more questions about our presentation that we couldn't get to all of them. So fun when this happens.
My colleagues and I spoke at the 2025 SEGD Wayfinding and Placemaking Conference in Las Vegas back in April. We were there to update the attendees on what new changes and modifications have been made to the ADA Guidelines that will soon be publish in the following year. Simon, Jessica and myself have been working with the International Code Council's (ICC) A117.1 Standards for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities Committee for the past four years as the official representatives from the SEGD.
My colleagues and I were not only there to offer our professional experience and knowledge to the chapter on wayfinding and communication signage, but are also asked to weigh in on all the other chapters of the ADA Guidelines... from toilet heights, counter heights, stanchions, braille on signs ect ect. Anything and everything that this committee can discuss to modify, change or add to make the public community more accessible for all was discussed. A lot of smart, empathetic and realistic decisions were made. I am very proud to have been apart of this experience.

-George Lim

05/28/2025

Research... Puckett's in Columbia TN.

05/28/2025

Tangram Team... Landing in Nashville International to start a new project. Always exciting kicking off a new project. Meeting new people, eating the local food and exploring the community to better understand who they are, what they have to offer and what is important to them, before we do any design, is the most important phase of our work.

05/14/2025

Tangram is excited to share that our designers, Anna Juliano and Brandon Lim, recently returned from the ISA Experiential Design Program (XDP) at the ISA Conference in Las Vegas!

The XDP program connects emerging designers with industry professionals through hands-on learning, guided tours, and networking opportunities that offer an inside look at the sign and graphics industry.

Brandon and Anna explored the massive ISA showroom floor, connected with other young professionals, and got a firsthand look at the latest trends in sign design and fabrication. One of the biggest highlights was the behind-the-scenes tour of YESCO, where they saw everything from cutting-edge LED displays to traditional glass neon. Seeing how some of Las Vegas’s most iconic signage is created was both an inspiring and memorable experience for our designers.

A big thank you to ISA for hosting such a meaningful program. We're excited to see how Brandon and Anna bring their experience and insight back into our shop!

03/29/2025

Tangram's Founding Partner, George Lim, is honored to be presenting at the SEGD's Wayfinding and Placemaking Conference with esteemed SEGD Accessibility Task Force colleagues, Jessica Schrader of Entro and Simon Majarian of SKA Design. They will be presenting as a panel at the Breaking Barriers to Accessible Design session. This session is an open discussion and update on what the SEGD Accessibility Task Force has been doing for the past two years in updating the Accessibility Guidelines and how it will affect the design of wayfinding signage programs. Please join them and share your thoughts.

Meet top designers and industry leaders redefining navigation and placemaking at 2025 SEGD Wayfinding + Placemaking on April 23.