Another vanishing piece of the streetscape is the pay phone. Over thirty years or so we’ve gone from Superman-style phone booths to compact aluminum phone boxes to, well, nothing. The mobile phone has finally killed off this formerly friendly and reliable form of street furniture. The few remaining pay phones… Read more »
Avoiding ambiguity is an obligation of good wayfinding. These mismatched and haphazard signs not only exhibit a lack of clarity, but also don’t do a lot for the Metro image.
2013, Anytown, USA. Grandpa: You know Timmy, they used have parking meters all over town. Timmy: Gee, Gramps, what are parking meters? Grandpa: Coin collection boxes on steel posts and every parking space had one. There were millions of ‘em. On every block. And each one had a timer to… Read more »
On second thought, let’s not.
Creative and profitable re-use of underutilized commercial property is all the rage these days, but seldom do you see examples as literal and successful as this gas station-now-taco stand in Pasadena. The design is smart and minimal – just add tables and colorful umbrellas. Sitting among the gas pumps with… Read more »
As visually engaging as some public art installations, these super-graphic warnings are seen on sidewalks in downtown Los Angeles. So, while you are enjoying the dramatic graphics, the doors may suddenly open, sending you down into industrial basement purgatory. It’s the ‘old trap door in the sidewalk’ public art gag.
(originally posted to FAILblog.org)
The City of Ventura sign code prevents this local cafe from using an existing signpost and panel to advertise its little shop. Like many cities, Ventura often restricts the size of a sign to be commensurate with the shop it represents. Likely, this sign was built prior to a city code barring… Read more »
There are a lot of great and appropriate places to display our national flag, but stenciled on a curb is not one of them. The “flag should never touch the ground” concept is pretty much obliterated by the well-meaning, but ignorant companies that will, for a donation, gladly stencil your… Read more »
Talk about your animated signs! We often say that a human being is the best directional sign. Here, we get a sign and a person. And we get motion – real human powered animation. Occasionally annoying, but often entertaining. And so far, the sign codes haven’t figured out how to… Read more »