The bridge
While keeping my eyes open every day for interaction opportunities in the streets of Norwich, some first ideas started to come up.
Most of the days when I need to go to the centre from my house, I pass over the bridge that is located above the A147 Road.
Most of the days when I need to go to the centre from my house, I pass over the bridge that is located above the A147 Road.
There I see almost every day a man that sits in a corner and draws with colored pens on found cardboard pieces. He has a plastic cup and prompts people to give him change. He probably is not homeless but he spends most of his time there, on that particular spot. Sometimes you can see that he left a note that reads "Be right back". He uses a dirty mattress to sit on and when the weather was colder he would cover himself with some old and weary blankets. Quite often though you can see him bent down and you cannot tell if he is sleeping, if he took any drugs or if he is just too tired to even keep his head up.
I pass by this bridge almost every day. We have never talked to each other and I have definitely never given him any money.
I do not know what most of the people that pass over the bridge think of him. I have seen some people throwing change in his little cup. However, most of the people are just too busy to even pay attention to his existence or they just do not want to admit that he is there.
People also use the bridge to cross the busy A147 when they have bikes or babies on trolleys.
On both sides of the bridge you can see signs that call cyclists to dismount:
I pass by this bridge almost every day. We have never talked to each other and I have definitely never given him any money.
I do not know what most of the people that pass over the bridge think of him. I have seen some people throwing change in his little cup. However, most of the people are just too busy to even pay attention to his existence or they just do not want to admit that he is there.
People also use the bridge to cross the busy A147 when they have bikes or babies on trolleys.
On both sides of the bridge you can see signs that call cyclists to dismount:
What is interesting here is that this is how street signs work. Street signs are in specific points of the street so that they can inform people on what to expect on their way, to prepare people for an upcoming danger, to make people act in an organized way so that chaos or accidents are avoided.
If I enjoyed some course more than others during my BA on Civil Engineering , that would be "Systems of Regulation". It is very interesting to see how masses of people obey signs in the streets. It would be also very interesting to see what happens when people disobey the rules and signs in the streets.
What would happen if people were informed by a sign about the guy on the bridge that sits in his corner all day and makes fractal designs on used cereal boxes?
What kind of message should such a sign communicate?
Should the sign be put in favor of that person or against?
Should the two entrances to the bridge bear the same sign or two opposite messages?
Will passers by obey the signs that I will create mimic the visual code of the official signs that the authorities put in the streets?
My route
This is a video that I shot of myself a couple of months ago, riding my bike to the university. I actually rode my bike on the bridge, avoiding the sign "Cyclists dismount". The part on the bridge is between 3:50 - 4:45 and especially the guy's pens and papers can be seen at 4:31.
Signs
Taking pictures around the centre of Norwich. keeping my eyes open for interesting signs and elements to use in my project
 |
Homeless youth awareness campaign, Canada
|
 |
"In 2013 an ad agency decided the would lend a helping hand and transformed park benches and bus stops into dry places for the homeless to sleep at night
|
 |
Actionaid India launched a campaign on homelessness in 2006 to urge people to log on and donate money towards relief for homeless people in Delhi
|
 |
"Break an old Christmas tradition"
Stockholms Stadsmission campaign for the homeless in 2010 during Christmas
|
 |
"Break an old Christmas tradition"
Stockholms Stadsmission campaign for the homeless in 2010 during Christmas
|
 |
Lost keyrings in the street of Dublin by Focus Ireland
|
Visiting the site
Today I visited the bridge on my way to the university with the hope of meeting the homeless guy. it was a very nice morning with a sunny sky and busy streets as people would walk around the city. The bridge was busy too.
Although I saw the guy's papers, pens and blankets he was not there himself.
It seems like people have been providing all those things he owns. I remember seeing much dirtier blankets and fewer drawing materials.
The picture above shows a very representative piece of his drawings. Resembling to mathematical patterns, his designs reveal skills, patience, dedication, confidence, accuracy and awareness of what he draws.
I also took closer pictures of the signs and measurements as today I am going to work on some sign designs.
The "No Cycling" sign is circular and has a 300 mm diameter. In order to support the sign
four screws connect in pairs horizontally using a metallic piece behind the bars.
First sign designs
The images below show my first design approach. I started with some rough sketches and brainstorming and developed my ideas based on public signage. the used typeface is Gill Sans Semibold as it is widely used for this purpose in the United Kingdom. The sketches were made before my decision to create signs with positive message.
Further research lead me to mark Daye's project for Ontario's College of Art and Design in 2011. His project included thirty signs that were put in the streets of Ontario. Examples are shown below:
Daye's approach is very interesting and visually stimulating. however i would like to maintain a less textual design.
The rest of his project can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7742877@N04/
Tuesday 12th March 2015
The "Bridge Project" was not further developed as I did not come across the person on the bridge that regularly and moved on to create signs around the "Home Watch Area" theme. The picture below shows a portrait of him on found cardboard that someone left at the spot where he used to sit:
(If you look closely you can notice one of his drawings painted grey)
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου