Rapt! Joins the Ranks of Accredited Master Sign Makers
The NZSDA is thrilled to welcome Rapt! into the fold of recently accredited Master Sign Makers.
Rapt started out as a graphic design and print broking studio who three years ago made the decision to purchase a sign shop. Owners Julie and Blair Wadman say it has been an intense three years of learning all about the signage industry. “One of the first things we did was join the NZSDA as we knew we needed support and guidance and we also wanted our clients to know that we were committed to excellence.”
And now, after two years of active membership and integration within the NZSDA community, Julie and Blair’s hard work has paid off as they have officially been awarded Master Sign Maker accreditation. The NZSDA Board were extremely impressed with Julie and Blair’s drive to achieve the accreditation, especially considering they have only been NZSDA members for two years. Their commitment to showing up at events and connecting with and learning from other sign makers has made all the difference.
Julie and Blair reflect on the journey, highlighting both the challenges and rewards of pursuing the Master title. “The accreditation process was very thorough; it took quite a few man hours to pull everything together and we did it over a period of about 3 weeks. It took 4 of the team in total to work on separate parts of the application process. Donna our designer to dig through all our project photos, Michelle our admin to input all the important dates and Blair and myself to write all the technical parts. Well worth it though and the team are super proud of achieving Master Signmaker.”
When asked about their decision to pursue the Master title, Julie said, “Building relationships with prospective clients is always challenging – how do we prove to them we can do the job and we know what we are doing? They have to trust us. I knew that having the Master Sign Maker accreditation would be another tool in our toolbox that will help them feel at ease and that we are trustworthy.”
Looking back, they see the application process as an opportunity to strengthen their skills and reflect on past work. “Digging into past jobs actually gave us more confidence. The application process – even though it took a lot of time, energy and resources – helped confirm that we are on the right track. We need to always be learning, tweaking, asking questions, if we are to do our clients jobs justice. I personally have learnt that you HAVE to keep upskilling and never stop asking questions.”
Julie and Blair also shared their advice for other businesses considering applying, set aside an hour every day to plug away at the application. It’s worth the time and effort and will make the industry stronger in the long run.
“For myself and Blair as owners/directors, it means A LOT. We can move into 2026 with confidence, keep growing and improving knowing that we and our team have earned this accreditation. Let’s go!!!”
The journey, the learning, and the achievement all come together to show that with dedication, commitment, and support from the NZSDA community, reaching Master Sign Maker status is not just an accolade but a testament to hard work and professional growth.
