The first phase of a city-wide wayfinding program in Walnut Creek, California is in production. After months of planning and public review the parking direction portion of the 200-sign Hunt Design project is coming off the production line at United Sign Systems in Modesto, California.
Artist Chris Burden’s 2008 installation of historic street lights at Los Angeles County Museum of Art is a great example of pleasing both critics and the public. The luminous display of restored light poles from the 1920s and 1930s not only forms an engaging public gateway into LACMA, the grid-like… Read more »
A recent visit to this celebrated New York museum pointed out the near futility of wayfinding in round spaces. Adding to the challenge, the open circular floors are a continuous flowing ramp, so no finite distinction between levels exists. The six levels look identical from every angle so the only… Read more »
We’re not sure what else there is to do in a park. Seen in Hong Kong, these ‘don’t do that’ signs really take the fun out of a park visit. We assume you can still sit on a blanket and read a book.
Santa Barbara, California is a great place for many reasons – historic architecture, terrific beaches, wonderful downtown, perfect weather, etc. But, sometimes it’s the little details that catch the eye. Like the elegant bronze street name signs in the pavement at each of the intersections along famous State Street. In… Read more »
Back in the day, this charming jewelry store would be wrapped in neon. But, alas, LED illumination has taken over nearly everywhere, even here, in Macau, China. Chinese characters that once were expressed in classic single-stroke exposed neon tubes are now drawn with flat soul-less miniature LED units. Yes, such… Read more »
Richfield, Utah streetscape
This finely crafted sign greets hikers on a trail to Oregon’s Doris Lake. The beautifully shaped oak panel has been carefully notched into the pine post. Eclectic, but appropriate typography, sand blasted and paint-filled, completes the classic design. A real pleasure to encounter on a hike.
Often called finger or pointer signs, this familiar sign type can be effective in pedestrian environments. Signs with panels that literally point toward destinations work especially well in places that are not orthogonal such as parks and historic sites. Here, the destination panels are accompanied by actual arrows that ‘pierce’… Read more »
Cast in timeless bronze over ‘hand-made’ Art Deco-like letters, this handsome small sign has been part of the Salt Lake City streetscape since 1919. 10 West Broadway, Salt Lake City, Utah