Anywhere you go…

Like most designers I know, I am always taking pictures of signs. Though well-intentioned, the goal of clear, unambiguous communication (such as advisories, warnings, way-finding aids, notice of restricted activities, etc.) is frequently misconstrued and misinterpreted—and often with humorous results. I’ve finally started to compile a collection of some of my sign pics from around the world in a Facebook album, here.

Above: warning of a steep path in a crocodile sanctuary, South Africa (thanks to colleague Guy Schockaert for this pic from a game farm we visited together a decade ago); a particularly confusing railway crossing/right-of-way sign in Wanganui, New Zealand; “no motorcycles or riderless bikes” in Havana, Cuba; “touch electric crotch at your own risk” on a Caribbean cruise ship.

(I also welcome sign-pic submissions from others: rob[a]robertlpeters.com).