Friday, September 23, 2011

Walk, Carry, No.

What do you think? Successful examples of graphic work? Or no?

I see the above sign almost everyday. I have to say that the photograph seems more effective than the actual sign, which somehow catches my eye as a I walk in such a way that I see "WALK CARRY NO" to the exclusion of almost everything else. Once I have done that, I read the rest-- something about bicycles and scooters blah blah... But I can't say that I ever intuitively read across the color barrier. I don't read "Carry skateboards" or "No electric carts." Apparently, neither to most other people, because to be walking down the mall area at any time is to be bombarded by electric carts...

Below is a sign our department received in the mail to post. Who designed this, I wonder? If we hosted a conference, who would design our poster? Probably me. If I was busy, which is not unlikely, it would fall to a student worker if he admitted to being able to open Photoshop. Could that be what has happened here? They paid for the reproduction obviously, and they paid for the shipping...did they pay someone to make this design? Maybe they should have paid more.

2 comments:

  1. That is really bad graphic design. Also, why the fuck no electric carts? People with disabilities aren't allowed in pedestrian zones? Seems so strange. (To me "electric cart" means the type of scooter wheelchair, but maybe they mean something else?)

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  2. Ha ha--in this case, no, I'm sure scooter wheelchairs would not be a problem, but the people using them would have to watch out for the golf carts used by security, facilities and operations, people driving potential donors and VIPS, and other random people who have keys to them, as well as zipping bikes from four directions, kids on skateboards, and pedestrians jumping unpredictably out of the way of first three things. Not to mention the very big trucks carrying fencing and other supplies for construction and the constant "special events" hosted on campus. I can't actually fault the spirit behind the sign--but it's effectiveness leaves something to be desired.

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