Project Description
These are hanging window signs I made for the folks at the Langara IT Service Desk. The idea was to create out-facing signs that the service desk staff could change throughout the day as needed. Being IT, I thought it was a good opportunity to add some personality to the signs by using easily-recognizable operating system icons.
Materials
They are printed on 4-colour adhesive paper, which was then laminated and mounted on 1/8 inch black PVC Sintra sheets. The completed signs were then drilled at the top corners and hung on windows on the front doors using regular ol’ bathroom suction cup hooks from Home Depot.
Learnings
This is actually the second generation of the signs. The first set was mounted on foamcore, which ended up too light and delicate. In the winter, the wind would occasionally blow the foamcore backed signs right off the hook and over time the corners became so damaged that we had to replace them. Sintra is substantially heavier and more durable. So far, so good.
The icons are loving reproductions of the original Macintosh system icons by legendary user-interface artist Susan Kare. I admire the amount of love, care, and wit into the icons and you can read more about the folklore behind the original Macintosh icons through her BUZZ page. You can also purchase prints of her iconography at Kare Prints. I’ve had my eye on the ‘hello’ script print for years and might finally order one for my apartment.
Role
- Concept development
- Research
- Client relations
- Representation mockups (Photoshop)
- Final design (InDesign)
