Journal Three

Possibly the best symbols are the ones that are now subconsciously recognized by the entire public. Most of use glance around and know what the signs mean and where they will be. I was able to walk down from the fifth floor of my dorm, and down San Francisco Street to the end of North campus to attain all 15 symbols.

            The bottom three symbols were found on a dumpster right outside of my dorm. It had three symbols that I find easily recognizable. The infamous yellow sign with the exclamation mark for “Caution” is very self-explanatory. It is a simple, symmetrical sign, which uses a yellow hue that is highly saturated to be bright and bold so it catches a person’s attention. The bottom symbols display the universal “Do Not” symbol, the bold red circle with the diagonal slash across it. It surrounds the shapes of the simplified human, one falling off and another about to be squished by a dumpster.

            The third row from the top and the yellow “Pedestrian Crossing” sign all have a human form on them. Each body is made up of simple shapes, such as circles and rectangles. Mostly, the signs seem symmetrical, but upon closer examination, it is realized they are not. For example, the “Pedestrian Crossing” sign has a sense of depth to it with the relationship between the obvious male walker and the woman, who is farther away by her feet being above the man’s, and her head below his head. Lastly, the fountain sign and the “In Case of Fire” sign are asymmetrical.

            The seven signs left are all easily recognized street symbols, most signs, but are nationally recognized when the shape is made out. All of these signs are very symmetrical and use the bold red hue to put emphasis on the meaning of the signs. All of these signs put emphasis on the words of the signs, which, I believe, have turned into part of the symbol itself. The text also plays a role because they are all in capitals, which we have learned is associated with shouting, to catch a person’s attention.

            All signs have unity and are similar with the design elements. For instance, all pedestrians are a flat color and highly contrast the background space. Another similarity are the colors, which are all bold, bright, and contrast each other to bring attentions to each character on the sign. All of the signs are very modern because of the crisp lines and easily interpreted symbols. Lastly, only san-serif fonts are used. The point I found after examining all of the signs is that everything should be as simplified and clean as possible, in order to get the point across. It has to appeal to all audiences and draw attention to important areas.