Comments on: Through London with the DwI goggles on

By: Elemental LED staff

Elemental LED staff — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:11:36 +0000

As we are exposed to more and more things and messages, and consequently have a harder time keeping up mentally (maybe just speaking for myself?!) I wonder if it becomes more important for interactive features to steer us in the right directions?

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:19:11 +0000

Thanks everyone for the comments – two great photos there Adrian, I’ll blog them in a follow-up post in due course if that’s OK.

Architela – I’m sure you’re right. Over the last couple of years I’ve collected quite a few examples of benches here on the blog, many/most of which have some kind of anti-homeless intent behind them.

Stephen – that’s a great photo example of doubling up on text and pictorial messages on a sign. I wonder whether they did any studies to find out what drivers look at first in the split-second of making a decision about what to do?

By: Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:10:17 +0000

I love this post! Every where I go I have my design goggles on and it drives me to distraction.

I’m from the UK but live in Australia and have an issue with text on road signs. It wasn’t until I started driving over here that I was struck at how slow and confusing it can make things.

http://stephenwalker.tumblr.com/post/84484791/australian-road-signs-when-driving-and-your-not

… they also have a sign which says “Wrong way – go back”.

By: Architela

Architela — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:32:46 +0000

Thanks for the design tour! I suspect the spikes outside the London Council office are meant to keep homeless people from sleeping there.

By: Adrian Short

Adrian Short — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:04:09 +0000

I sympathise. The problem with “design goggles” is that they’re often hard to turn off. Maybe they need better design?

This is a great example of confused design (Design without Intent?) combined with light anti-sit signage. The ledges not only make comfortable unintentional seats but they’re heated by warm air vents from below!

If you’d like to see some urban space that’s very much been designed with intent to funnel pedestrians off their desire lines and onto “safe” routes, by all means visit my own neighbourhood, Stonecot Hill in Sutton. No matter how many obstructions are put in the way, plenty of people will happily squeeze past or walk over them rather than deviate from their desire lines.

I like the bird bins. I’ll do some thinking on affective engagement. Thanks for a great post with some excellent examples.