See Change Happen

I'd like to meet the Lincoln Towncar designer

What is this exactly? It was a button right behind the backseat of a Lincoln Towncar. First of all, it was in a car, making the anchor image seem somewhat inappropriate unless perhaps we launched into the water, in which case I think a life raft would have been more suitable.

Hiring a proofreader

Can you imagine the type of service one might get from a car insurance company
with a link to "Car Insurance Qoutes?"

Amazing signage

Apparently, this Brooklyn pizza place requires costumes.

Thanks Rollman.

The importance of branding, chapter 2

A reminder about the importance of branding

Good intentions, bad design?

There have clearly been a lot of advancements in socially beneficial design. Handicapped ramps, for example, once impossible to find are now ubiquitous. Hearing aids are now small enough to be hidden inside the ear. Challenge Aspen (an unbelievable organization) helps disabled people race down ski slopes and be active in entirely new ways. So, for the most part, it seems that a lot of good is being done.

But, one thing I’ve noticed, that doesn’t make any sense, especially from a design perspective, is the use of Braille.

I'll preface this with, I don't know anyone who is blind. So, I could be totally wrong but as someone who isn't blind, I can't seem to find any sort of rhyme or reason to the use or placement of Braille. And it makes me think that if anyone deserves consistency or standardization, it is someone who has to navigate the world without his/her eyesight.

In hotels, sometimes the Braille numbers are to the right of a door, sometimes centered on the door. Yesterday, I stopped at a gas station and noticed this diaper changing unit. The English instructions were in the logical place, at the top and around eye level while the Braille instructions were at the far bottom in the corner, around waist level. Which means they were almost impossible to find. (And I'd assume most people who need the instructions are also holding a baby.)

Is Braille a legal issue? Do companies have to put Braille on equipment and therefore just slap it wherever they want? If so, how come there isn't a better system? One that ensured that if I was looking for Braille, I'd know where to find it. And why don't things like street poles use Braille? I'd think more people would want to know the name of a particular street than the instructions for using a diaper changing unit in a Texaco station.

My mom and I were recently talking about a blind couple she met at an outdoor event. The couple was trying to find the main tent but were having trouble navigating the crowds and because the event was temporary, there was no signage in Braille to help them find bearings. Our conversation led to an idea to invent a new way for people to navigate a space.  What if someone developed a wallet-sized magnetized card and instead of randomly placing Braille instructions on objects, product designers, city planners etc could embed a chips all over the place. When triggered by a wave of the credit card, the chips would provide audio information such as a street name or instructions for use, somewhat like those headset tours in a museum. It would work perfectly for temporary events. Or even for someone who wasn't blind but just had a bad sense of direction. (e.g. me, my mom)

Would it be expensive or difficult to implement? I'm not sure. But it seems like any system would be better than looking for information by running one's hands along a dirty bathroom wall.