Signs are all around us. We use them to know which streets to turn onto while commuting to work, to know which restroom we prefer to use, to know whether or not we’re allowed to park somewhere, to know whether or not a business is open, and for countless other things. Signs are a vital way of conveying information. But when they’re done poorly, they can be extremely confusing, jarring, and/or unsettling. Somehow, there are plenty of useless, unsuccessful, and/or unpopular signs out there in the world, because these two Facebook groups, Useless, Unsuccessful, and/or Unpopular Signage and UNSUCCESSFUL, USELESS AND/or UNPOPULAR SIGNAGE, seem to have unlimited content.
Combined, the two pages under almost identical names have nearly 6,000 members, and receive hundreds of posts each month. They aren’t the first groups of their nature on Facebook, as we’ve covered a similar one on Bored Panda before, but just like the creators of these signs can’t seem to get enough of pumping out pointless signage, the internet can’t seem to get its fill of these UUU signs. Anything from misspellings that lead to hilarious confusion to contradictory signs being placed in the same location can be found on this list, but at least these signs can serve one purpose well: entertainment.
To gain more insight into how one of these groups, UNSUCCESSFUL, USELESS AND/or UNPOPULAR SIGNAGE, came to be in the first place, we got in touch with one of the page’s administrators, Laura Carter Chagnon, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. “My husband Stephan is a photographer and has a great sense of humor, so he decided to put together this group,” she shared. “It has been fun to watch it grow, especially when new people find new and crazy signs to share.”
And when it comes to why people love these signs so much, Laura says, “I think people love to see these signs because they are actually out there in the world, either by someone’s mistake or miswording of something. Which is something that happens to everyone so we can easily relate.” She added that the group’s members are quite active, as well as her and her husband, so when they have free time to spend in the group, they get to interact with many different people. “We chose this group because it wasn’t specific to anyone and has such a broad spectrum it could literally touch anyone’s lives and help bring us all a little closer together,” Laura shared.
Laura was also kind enough to share about some of her and Stephan’s favorite UUU signs. “My favorite sign is one we found on a trip to New Brunswick at the Bay of Fundy. It’s the one where they have a diagram on the bathroom door showing how to sit on the toilet properly. The picture shows one diagram where the figure is squatting on the rim of the seat with their feet. It makes me wonder how they came up with that and how much they enjoyed making people laugh,” she told Bored Panda. “My husband's favorites are the ones lacking punctuation or that have a typo that changes the entire meaning of the sentence.” They’re constantly finding new great (or not so great) signs though, as Laura added that they’re always on the lookout.
We were also lucky enough to get in touch with Jerome Davis, one of the administrators of Useless, Unsuccessful, and/or Unpopular Signage, to hear how his group got started, and he was kind enough to answer our questions. “UUUs got started, honestly, after another group got a little too pushy and was kicking people out for silly reasons, and sometimes for no reason at all,” he told Bored Panda.
We then asked Jerome why he thinks people love these UUU signs so much. “Many just think it’s funny to see how laziness and carelessness becomes immortalized in signage!” he shared.
And when asked about his community, Jerome told Bored Panda, “We’re a friendly group managed by a handful of friends. We don’t do the hateful stuff and try hard not to ‘ban hammer’ if we can help it. Most are fairly active with membership from across the globe.”
The administrator also shared what his personal favorite UUU signs are. “Stupid road signs and shop signs are hands down the best!” he told Bored Panda. And finally, Jerome noted that he’s always on the lookout for new signs to share with the group as well. “All the time! It’s a challenge to find new ones.”
In a previous Bored Panda article, we reached out to Tim Harrelson, CEO of the South Carolina based company The Sign Chef, to hear more about the importance of great signage. “Between the physical world and the online world, the competition for attention is at an all time high,” Tim shared. “Simultaneously, attention spans seem to be at an all time low. Our senses are constantly being bombarded! Moving forward, organizations need to be strategic in how the content is displayed on their signs.”
The CEO also shared a bit about how the process of designing signs goes for him and his team. “Most graphic designers start with the size of the sign - then the lettering & graphics are added. Think backwards," Tim previously told Bored Panda. "A more strategic approach can be taken by having the design reverse engineered for maximum impact. This design strategy starts with the viewing distance. How far away does your target audience need to be able to read the sign?”
“Once the distance is measured, a Letter Sizing Calculator can be used to scientifically determine the very best letter sizes,” he continued. “As an example, what is the best letter size if the viewing distance is 110 feet? When you type 110 feet into the calculator, you’ll instantly see 22 inches is recommended for maximum impact - easy.”
According to the Sign Chef himself, the most important factor to consider when designing a sign is the legibility of the message itself. “Of equal importance is the message itself,” he added. “What is the core message people need to grasp in an instant?”
