Communicating in the third dimension

Artisan Story

Artisan, like many of the best ideas, grew out of a need rather than an opportunity. When Billy Griffin set up Artisan in 2000, the vision was of a high quality signage design agency that would sub-contract the fabrication to others. But, as we quickly found out, there were no others. No companies that truly understood the myriad challenges, techniques and technologies involved in turning great two-dimensional ideas into great three-dimensional executions. Not in Ireland, where Artisan are based – and nowhere else in Europe either. So Artisan became that company too: a hybrid one-stop shop which both collaborates with brand owners, designers and architects to create powerful signage designs, and then implements those designs in the most impactful and practical manner on site. Today Artisan works with leading brands and organisations across five continents at all phases of the signage design and fabrication process. Our staff includes industrial designers, programmers, fine artists, 3D modelers and fabricators. We have become expert in such diverse areas as semiotics, structural design, urban planning, wayfinding and cognitive behaviour. We are constantly researching novel potential uses and combinations of materials, coatings, fixings, lighting, new technologies and multimedia. But, while our skills may seem bewilderingly diverse, they are all channelled towards a single, deceptively simple goal: Design that truly stands out in the built environment