This beautiful image seen in a municipal parking garage was not created by an artist. Made by a surveyor for use as an optical sight target, the original scribed crosshairs were made more visible with colored chalk. Months later the remaining marks and the orange chalk have faded into a… Read more »
Sometimes the best sign is the product itself. In the grand tradition of European merchant signs, these shaped signs communicate primarily by presenting what they are selling. Words are not really necessary. But it’s not so easy if you sell insurance or are in the mortgage business.
Balloons dangling on a telephone pole, fence or mailbox let you know you are close to the party. Colorful and non-verbal, these are true signs, universally understood by party guests everywhere. No lettering needed. Even the colors communicate – bright colors for kids, pastels for baby showers and silver and… Read more »
Looking for interesting graphic design? Look down. Decorative tree grates are everywhere on our city streets. Stencil-cut for air and water circulation, the steel plates often feature fascinating patterns, shapes and details made possible by modern water-jet cutting. With the need for a center circle, the designs are formal and… Read more »
Nothing attracts customers to a going-out-of-business sale like the American flag. With a block-long series of paired flags, this patriotic furniture storeowner knows how to use our national symbol as a dynamic marketing tool. Long may it sell.
We put a lot of societal energy into preserving old designs and structures. And many preservation advocates are critical of today’s phony façade architecture – “Things were more authentic, honest and well-crafted in the past.” But look around at many ‘historic’ buildings and you’ll see a lot of fancy fronts… Read more »
No translations needed here. A red hexagon at an intersection means the same thing in dozens of countries.
Designed around 1900 by architect Hector Guimard, this art nouveau subway design has been defining Parisian streetscapes ever since – over 80 of these elegant gateways survive. This original example now holds court in the sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, sharing the stage with… Read more »
At last, Environmental Graphic Design can live up to its alternate namesake and promote environmental change. Anonymous “artists” stepped up the battle being waged to remove an obsolete and unwanted dam in the Ojai area of California by painting a vast graphic dotted line and scissors icon along the face… Read more »
These homemade signs demonstrate many of the principles of effective wayfinding: simple wording, large clear font choice, strong use of color, repetition and consistency of design elements. And shaping each sign as the directional arrow is brilliant.