Unobeyed Signs
Unobeyed Signs | |
Object date | 2020 |
Place of Origin | Global (picture from the main railway station of Helsinki, Finland) |
Designer | Unknown |
Manufacturer | Unknown |
Materials | Tapes, fences, gates, signs |
by student Hannakaisa Pekkala
Can a sign keep people away? During the pandemic we have seen a flood of new signs popping up everywhere; stickers on the ground, closed gates and taped benches that tell us to keep away. Often the tape barriers are seen ripped apart, people sitting on the table with a sign “don’t use”. Our individually centered lifestyle makes us act like the rules don’t apply to us – we see ourselves as the exception in the group.
“The best signs are the ones that actually make people want to respect the rules”, states Aradhna Krishna, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business (Traverso, 2020). The BBC article summarizes what seems to be working: when people use their creativity and their own voices to communicate the restrictions. Graffiti, self-made signs and big installations in public spaces have received positive responses from people all over the world.
Traverso, V. (2020). How social-distancing symbols are changing our cities. BBC Worklife. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200909-how-social-distancing-symbols-are-changing-our-cities
Image
Photo taken by the student.
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