Category: Blog

Old Signs; New Use

Antique hardware store signs from all over decorate and enhance venerable New York Hardware in Costa Mesa, California. From the exposed neon saw over the entrance to large porcelain enamel pieces inside, the period graphics add interest and character to an otherwise generic interior. And we like the old signs… Read more »

Don’t Back into the Fireplug

This two-foot fireplug is protected by a massive steel enclosure nearly nine feet tall and almost as wide. And with the freshly painted high-visibility yellow paint, we think the little fireplug is safe from attack by everything from Mitsubishis to Mack Trucks.

Captain Obvious Strikes Again

If every crime had its own sign, we wouldn’t have enough windows or walls to post them all. So why is this particular sign so important? Probably has something to do with DA Gardner’s self-image and desire to be re-elected. 

Wayfinding on the Floor?

Most wayfinding signage is deployed at eye level or above. But in certain situations the ground plane can be used to good effect. Here, in the confusing underground passages beneath Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, floor wayfinding is not only effective, but necessary.

Perfect Urban Scale

One reason we like and feel comfortable in certain public spaces is scale – human scale. This attractive paseo in Santa Barbara, California is not only just the right size (width to height), but has all the design elements that gracefully scale-down the environment to people size. Colorful flags, awnings,… Read more »

Elegant Wilderness Wayfinding

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.

Calligraphic Street Artist

To earn a little money, artists are often seen plying their craft on the streets – think caricaturists, guitar players, even Circ de Soleil in the early days.  Here, on a hot Shanghai day, an expert calligrapher using only a brush and water delights passers-by with elegant but fleeting Chinese… Read more »

This Kind of Signage Must Go

Here’s a store that’s been going out of business for three years, degrading the Pasadena streetscape every day with tacky and quasi-legal signs.