Yesterday’s post about signage on asphalt sparked an interesting response. We got some smart (and not entirely positive) contributions in the Comments section. And several readers offered their own contributions.

For instance, Eileen Boswell sent this one, which originated here and which carries a tart political message.

And a bunch of folks pointed out the one below from British Columbia, which uses an optical illusion to make it seem as if a little girl is darting across the parking lot. (You can read more about it here, here, and here.)

8 Responses to “Even more emotionally intelligent parking lot signage”

  1. wittybrit says:

    OK – Dan. I love your posts but to put the second photo under the title of “Emotionally intelligent” is a contradiction, to which the comments on the originating websites attest (“crying wolf”, “desensitizing”, etc).
    Absolutely, the concept behind the signage is interesting, innovatative, and thought provoking – just not “Emotionally intelligent”!
    That said, keep up the good work. Keep the posts coming and thank you!

  2. Paul says:

    Need to quit using the term “emotionally intelligent” in this sense. Maybe “emotionally subversive” would be more accurate.
    Emotional intelligence a’la Dan Goleman, et.al. would promote self-awareness and self-management, missing among the “intuhleckshuals” who spew lots of advice to the rest of us mere mortals. The other elements of EQ, social awareness and relationship management, are focused on aligning people and creating a positive vision (leadership). That takes adaptive skills that our society is loathe to learn. Quick fixes rule.

  3. Jeff Muir says:

    Emotional intelligence is the capacity to read your post on signs, adapt and learn from the experience. The need to correct and be pedantic concerning the “definition” of emotional intelligence puts a big questionmark on the emotional intelligence of the “post-or”. Including this post. Great work Dan.

  4. Bruce says:

    The Vancouver example was also the subject of one of the items in this week’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me” on NPR. One of the panelists joked that the use of this optical illusion could backfire: “don’t worry honey, it’s just another one of those damned fakes…drive on!”

  5. Rita Ferrari says:

    Love the first one! Very clever and right on the mark. I could see a whole series of them with different messaging (environmental theme etc.) all along city bike lanes.

  6. Cliff Rtoh says:

    The illusion of the girl with the ball is a bad idea as many have already pointed out. These types of illusions, of which Julian Beever is a master, only work at one angle. The rest of the time they don’t read as 3d at all. Any driver speeding or not would be able to tell that whatever is in front of them isn’t a real girl at all before they got close enough for the painting to work. After all a girl chasing a ball certainly isn’t going to be static. Also she looks like she is calmly reaching down to pick it up rather than chasing after it.

    I really dig the first one though.

  7. Peter says:

    Emotionally intelligent signages inspire people to make emotionally intelligent devices: ‘Turn That Tap Off or the Goldfish Gets It!’ http://tinyurl.com/savethefish

  8. Great copy on the bike v car shot. Not sure the other one isn’t a tad self-defeating.