How to Design An Employee Recognition Display
1. Developing Display Dimensions

Display Size and Layout
Calculating your employee recognition display size will come down to a few main components; photo holders, information and theme. While some display boards may only feature six individuals, other recognition systems may be comprised of a series of boards with upwards of twenty featured employees per board. To find out the sizing that is best for your organization, you must consider your staff size, desired layout and engineering options from the display designer.
Informational Panels
Is this a photo wall showcasing the entire staff? If so, you will place the organization name on the header above rows of photos. However, if your recognition wall is acknowledging specific departments or leadership, then those titles will sit atop the display board, too. Compare a company-wide recognition program versus honoring a board of directors. The more widespread the acknowledgment, the larger the display.
2. Selecting The Right Materials For Your Employee Recognition Wall

Display Backers
Choosing the proper materials to recognize your employees comes down to budget and preference. Opting for newer, high-caliber foams versus traditional woods tend to save costs across the board (pun intended), while preserving quality. Foam backers also cut shipping costs as they drastically reduce weight when sending to the display destination. Furthermore, the core of the displays aren’t a primary point of appearance and are more often than not hidden to the viewer, so going with a cost-effective material won’t sacrifice looks.
Choosing the Display Face Components
Employee recognition display faces vary in presentation as you can choose a flat matte look or go for more of a shimmer with a brushed material. A brilliant, metallic face tends to garner more attention than a nonreflective finish, as well as improve the sophistication of design. Or, combine a flat look with a brushed metal to create a beautiful hallway centerpiece.
Presentation of Employee Photos
You can further customize the aesthetics of your board by choosing the frames your employees will be displayed in. One option to consider is to go with a bent plastic frame, where photos can be easily slid in and out as needed. These simple photo holders are attached flush to the recognition board. On the other hand, photo frames fastened with aluminum standoffs are a classy alternative to upgrade your image presentation. This method requires photo frames that jut off of the recognition wall an inch or so. There is no right or wrong way to display your staff photos. It comes down to your design goals and what you would like your corporate recognition to look like. Additionally, each method has its pros and cons with pricing and how it meshes with your recognition program budget.
3. Incorporating Brand Elements Into Your Employee Recognition Display

Make your brand identity pop with a dimensional logo on your employee recognition wall.
Logos
Infusing your brand identity into your recognition display improves brand awareness to visitors while instilling corporate unity. An excellent way to incorporate your corporate identity into your recognition project is by placing your logo onto the centerpiece. You may be asking yourself, “Well, where should I place my brand’s logo?” Typically, the designer places a logo either dimensionally or as vinyl graphics on the header of an employee recognition display. Dimensional logos make your display quite literally stand out to the viewer, and immediately showcase the recognized staff.
Brand Identity Colors
Mirroring your identity colors on your recognition wall is crucial for brand continuity throughout the signage in your workspace. A second aspect of a full branded identity are the brand colors reminding visitors and employees where they are spending their time. An example of this would be dining at your favorite restaurant and seeing your surroundings such as the walls and team uniforms the employees are wearing. The uniforms and environment will correlate with brand colors identity colors and voice.
Missions Statements or Quotes
Corporate mission statements are a glimpse of why your organization does what they do. They encourage employees to work hard while informing guests of brand expectations. Including your company ethos on your staff recognition wall plays a large role in keeping office performance high and building company culture.
4. Considering Installation Environment For Your Employee Recognition Display

Wall Dimensions
You will want to be sure your recognition display not only fits well into your office space, but also looks good in relation to other wall installments. Sending an accurate wall measurement alongside any fixtures or sockets will aid designers when creating display ideas, and ensure the exhibition is well-placed on the wall space.
Construction of Wall and Hanging Systems
In addition, the type of hanging systems that can be used to secure a recognition display to a wall is dependent on the wall construction. For example, a concrete wall will require a different mounting method than drywall. Developing the proper display support will be based on weight of display, wall construction, and aesthetics of environment.
5. Finding the Right Employee Recognition Partner

We here at signgeek have designed, built and installed a wide variety of recognition displays for military, law enforcement and healthcare spaces. Our team has fabricated many custom displays spanning from 8-person to 100-person wall displays. Browse our corporate and employee recognition gallery to see some projects we’ve been working on. For more information on our Recognition Display products, contact our sales team at 1-850-434-6060 or [email protected].
