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Redesigning the Stop Sign

Posted by samzenpus on from the too-many-cooks dept.

Here's what happens when you let the Marketing department have everything they want. The email address for more information about stopping is a nice touch.

17 comments

  1. Speaking as a graphic designer... by waffledoodle · · Score: 2, Funny

    My God. This is my life. Every. Single. Day.

    1. Re:Speaking as a graphic designer... by micahfk · · Score: 1

      I hear you completely!

    2. Re:Speaking as a graphic designer... by Kenshin · · Score: 1

      This is why I gave up on professional graphic design. Now it's just a thing I do on the side.

      --

      Does it make you happy you're so strange?

    3. Re:Speaking as a graphic designer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was very good representation of my industry as well. But where was the part where they blame the artist for fucking it up after the cars crash into each other?

  2. I found a Market! by droopycom · · Score: 1

    I have been told they do not have Stop signs in Taiwan!

    1. Re:I found a Market! by xiaomai · · Score: 1

      It's true, instead they have traffic lights almost everywhere. In the couple years I lived there, I only saw one or two stop signs, and those were privately made ones in parking lots.

  3. Speaking as a marketing student... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sorry.

  4. In the real world... by xaxa · · Score: 1

    I saw a TV programme about the construction of the British motorways, and they hired designers to make consistent signs for all the roads -- and they came up with a special typeface, chose the best colours, the pictograms etc, and it was so good it's hardly been changed since.

    http://www.designmuseum.org/design/jock-kinneir-margaret-calvert

    1. Re:In the real world... by SigNuZX728 · · Score: 1

      The ones in the US are pretty good too. They're not ambiguous (unless there are errors in content) and they're easy to read. I know they've changed the fonts on the green freeway exit signs down here in Houston, but I don't know of any changes other than that.

    2. Re:In the real world... by xaxa · · Score: 1

      The main difference between American and European road signs -- apart from the obvious colour and shape differences -- is the number of words. An American sign might say "Speed limit 40 mph" but the European one is just "40" in a circle. "Railroad crossing" is just a picture of a train in a triangle. "Trucks use left lane" here would be a picture of the multi-lane road, with crossed-out trucks in the non-left lanes. "Warning Slow Down" would be the single word "Slow". I prefer the European system (it was obviously chosen because there's so many languages).

      The American road numbering system is much better than the one in the UK (I'm not familiar with the rest of Europe's road numbers). The north-south routes seemed to have even numbers, and the east-west routes odd numbers. And numbers ending in 5 or 0 were the main freeways. Plus, everything was signed "US 1 North" or "US 1 South", which can be helpful (The UK would sign that "A1 Watford" and "A1 London", which isn't so helpful if you have no idea where places are in relation to each other, and though there probably is some system to the number of any road, it's of no use to drivers).

    3. Re:In the real world... by Leto-II · · Score: 1

      You've got the odd/even thing backwards. North/South routes are odd, and East/West routes are even.

      For more info...

      --
      Do not anger the worm.
    4. Re:In the real world... by YttriumOxide · · Score: 1

      As some one who moved to Germany about a year ago, I have to say I'm loving the roads here. Of course, there's the basic idea of not using words unless absolutely necessary, so almost everything is pictographic. That makes it very quick once you get used to it, since a single symbol can mean something that would take several words to write in most languages (and, as my German is still a little sub-par, if it were written in German, it would take me longer!). But, beyond that, I really like the major road numbering system, the layout of the major highways (and not just the Autobahn roads, but the smaller "Bundesbahn" highways as well), and how well major cities and routes are signposted. I have never gotten totally lost here in Germany - which is something that happened to me regularly last time I was driving around France.

      Interestingly, I have to disagree with you saying that you prefer "US 1 North" / "US 1 South" compared to "A1 Watford" / "A1 London". I find the UK method more reasonable as often I don't know whether I want to head North or South of where I am, I just know where I want to go! I generally know the names of any big/important cities/locations near where I want to go, and most of the ones along the route there, so I can follow a sign saying "London" to get to somewhere near London. If I don't know exactly where I am, "North" and "South" might be fairly meaningless (especially in more tightly packed areas, such as the greater London area!)

      --
      My book about LSD and Self-Discovery
      Also on facebook as: DroppingAcidDaleBewan
    5. Re:In the real world... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Bahn" sometimes means "pathway" and sometimes means "railway", however by custom there's been preference for using either "Bahn" or "StraÃYe" like this (in order of decreasing allowed speed):
      - Autobahn
      - AutostraÃYe
      - BundesstraÃYe

      "Bundesbahn" is the public (i. e. general tax financed) railway. :-)

      But I see how you arrived at thinking "Bundesbahn": "Autobahn" says "Bahn" too, although it's not a railroad. What were the Old Germans thinking ;)

    6. Re:In the real world... by YttriumOxide · · Score: 1

      Oops... yeh, I meant "Bundesstrasse"... just wasn't thinking!

      --
      My book about LSD and Self-Discovery
      Also on facebook as: DroppingAcidDaleBewan
  5. Arrrrggggghhhhh!!! by SmoothTom · · Score: 1

    I spent a quarter century as an engineer and engineering manager battling marketing droids in the old Bell System.

    It really is a wonder I didn't kill any.

    --Tomas

  6. ...Starring Chicago improvisers by Kelsevinal · · Score: 1

    A great video starring a bunch of talented Chicago improvisers, including the wonderful Al Samuels. Yay iO (formerly improvOlympic)!

  7. Warning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL at the "Internal use only, do not duplicate" warning at the end.