Designer fights idiotic US parking signs

Louis X. Kay is trying to figure out if it is time before midnight or after midnight. It seems like before, but at the same time and after ...

When last winter Nikki Sylianteng received a fine for parking in the wrong place $ 95, she realized that it was not just a fine. Here is the design problem. Soon after, she opened the site toparkornottopark.com .

Nikki suggests introducing a standard template for parking signs. On the site you can report an idiotic sign in your area, send a photo, download a template of a reference sample or order the manufacture of a sign in material form.

The problem of conflicting signs is especially characteristic of Los Angeles, writesPreceonomics. LA has such puzzles that you will stand and watch for a long time, trying to comprehend what you saw.



The template developed by Nikki is the result of many years of work, she worked on it even before the opening of the corresponding site. I tried a bunch of different options. As a result, I took a calendar grid like Google Calendar with vertical columns that correspond to the hours of the day as a sample.


Samples of standard signs

This option came up best because even non-designers quickly understood the meaning.

Theoretically, Nikki with her sketches could go to the city hall and talk with officials, but such an idea did not occur to her. She thought that the idea could still be improved, make a prototype to ask the opinions of other people.


Prototype

She hung a couple of such signs around and opened a website to expand the audience. The approach turned out to be the right one - people suggested a bunch of small but important improvements. The discussions were so stormy that it became clear: the stupid parking signs really got everyone.


Example of redesigning parking signs in LA

Apparently, in many cases, people agree to a completely prohibitory sign, than a restriction such as "Parking is prohibited on school days" (near the school) - and a parking ticket during summer school classes.

In such cases, Nikki believes that it is better to immediately prohibit parking on all weekdays: this is clear and will not allow violations.

Theoretically, the actions of Nikki and her like-minded people, who make signs and install them instead of old idiotic signs, violate the law, so that the girl can soon get acquainted with law enforcement and thunder in jail.


Nikki works in the studio on a training project