Nice to meet you
I'm Joshua Harris of ABD Sign Co — formally known as The A Board Dude. I'm a sign painter and designer based in London, specialising in hand-painted signs, murals, gold leaf gilding and branding for independent businesses across the capital.
Every independent business owner faces the same problem: you've got something worth shouting about, but a blank wall or a tired old sign is drowning you out on a busy high street. That's where I come in. I help business owners turn overlooked shopfronts into something people stop for — starting with a conversation about your story, a design that captures your personality, and finishing with paint (or gold leaf) on the wall. The result isn't just a sign; it's a small business finally getting noticed for the character it's always had.
Got a wall that's not pulling its weight? Get in touch and let's talk about what it could say instead.
For anyone interested in a bit of my recent history, let me say firstly that I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for my first client, The Breakfast Club. After tumbling out of Uni without a degree, thanks to my wretched grades and a dearth of any mental clarity (a secret I buried for many years afterward), I took up the position of full-time waiter in their Angel cafe. There I met my temporary but unforgettable BC family and went adrift into the unknown.
One afternoon in 2012 I offered to spruce up our weathered a-board and with a tragically cringy set of puns and it was transformed with some colourful hand lettering. Not long after, my then-manager informed me that the Bossman, Jonathan shared my fondness for dad jokes and offered me a new role of weekly a-board updater / pun master. I hastily accepted and The A Board Dude was born.
Today, having worked independently for 10 years, I’m a Josh-of-all-trades so to speak, specialising in hand painted signs, murals, gold leaf gilding, graphic design and branding. I’m very proud to have worked with some incredible clients, both big and small, all the while advancing my abilities and services as a tradesman and artist. A big thanks goes out to all my wonderful customers that have helped me grow and kept me afloat through the tougher times.