Emotionally intelligent signage

What do I mean when I talk about “emotionally intelligent signage?” My definition is straightforward and perhaps a tad narrow:a) Signage that demonstrates empathy with the viewer (Ex: Don’t worry. This line moves really fast.), orb) Signage that encourages empathy on the part of the viewer as a way to get greater compliance. (Children play […]

My friend Anna Muoio was prowling the mean streets of Camden, Maine, not too long ago when she reached a crosswalk, looked down, and saw a great example of emotionally intelligent signage, which she snapped with her Cannon Powershot.This sign is effective for three inspired and complementary reasons. First, the mere presence of that surprising […]

Regular readers know my obsession with signage, particularly that of the emotionally intelligent variety.Here are three quick sign items from the inbox and the bookpile:1. The Toronto Star‘s Kenneth Kidd has a terrific piece questioning whether the hyperlegalistic signs now dotting the streets of Canada’s largest city actually do any good.  They’re so negative, Kidd writes, that “you’d […]

Trevor Currie sends this photo of an emotionally intelligent sign, which he snapped at Toronto General Hospital.

Stacey Aldrich, the innovative Deputy State Librarian in California, sends this example of emotionally intelligent signage in a zoo. 

Needham, Massachusetts, Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick has become the first city official to put the idea of emotionally intelligent signage into practice.As the Boston Globe‘s Lisa Kocian reports, Fitzpatrick enlisted local middle school “students to design signs that would slow down their parents and older brothers and sisters” because existing signs weren’t do the trick […]

Here’s a 5-minute film with an interesting twist on emotionally intelligent signage. (It moves a bit slowly at first, but stick with it.)   (HT: Jeremy Epstein)

From the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago comes this emotionally intelligent sign on the hotel’s revolving door. It’s a bit goofy, but it sure made me use the revolving door instead of the regular one. What’s more, Kermit’s watchful eyes are consistent with some interesting research in social psychology.

Officials in North Carolina recently discovered that some Tar Heel license plates are inadvertently asking Johnny Bunko’s central question. That’s prompted the state DMV to offer new plates to anyone uncomfortable with a certain ubiquitous three-letter query. (HT: Beth Holmes)

Here’s a sign I spotted today at Washington Reagan National Airport touting a conference called What’s Coming Next . . . which took place two-and-a-half months ago.