Railroad Crossing Sign

Railroad crossing signs differ across the country, but there are many similarities. We will be taking a closer look into the alignment and shape of the objects, universal symobols that have meaning for individuals from different cultures, arrangement of objects on the signs, as well as the symbolic meaning of color schemes and appeal.

Two Generally Used Signs Across the World:

There are several different railroad sign designs used but the layout and alignment remain the same. The crossbuck shows the text "crossing" over the seperated text "rail" and "road" and forms an X which strongly implies danger and the need to approach with caution. Although the signs essentially have a different shape and color scheme the symbolic cross implies the same message of caution.The signs do have the same arrangement, crossbuck shape, and the balance between the words or initials for "rail" and "road". In the yellow sign on the upper right the cross exists in the same direction and the "R" and "R" are once again seperated by the crossbuck. The color yellow signifies the need to approach something with caution and care and serves as a bright noticeable background for the bold print and symbol.

INTERNATIONAL RAILROAD SIGNS



The first sign is located in Australia and the second in India. Although the sign in India does not have text it contains the universal crossbuck as well as the sign from Australia. One interesting thing is it's use of color. The red is used to alert individuals to approach with intent to stop. The red used on the Australian sign serves as a great background to excentuate the white crossbuck with the bold black "railway" crossing text. The second image from India maintains the same format and color scheme by using the white crossbuck yet uses the red at each end point once again signifying the need for extreme caution and the possible need to stop.

IMPORTANCE OF UNIVERSAL SIGNS

The importance of universal signs is imparitive to express the correct message and give meaning to directions. Although the crossb0ow symobl mainly stays the same the bright meaningful colors differ, yet still share important components that alert people from most regions of the world to approach with caution with preperation to stop. This cross-cultural knowledge is very important to the way we communicate with eachother as well as express caution and the delivery of important messages. The format, shape, color, and alignment are all used to ensure the correct meaning is expressed properly.

Restroom Sign

The restroom sign can be easily recognized by its consistent use of color, arrangement, and layout. Generally, the sign is in blue with white lettering and shapes. Blue is a primary color on the color wheel that easily stands out to the viewer in any environment that it is in. The color blue has a myraid of symbolic meaning and feelings associated with it such as sadness, happiness and optimism, or the male gender. In the case of the restroom sign, it is appropriate to assume that the color represents different emotions for each individual person. The sign either a man and a woman on it with e line dividing them down the middle. If the man is on the right side of the sign than the men's restroom is on the right side of the sign. Likewise, if the woman is on the left sign of the sign, than the women's restroom is on the left side of the sign. The shapes on the sign are close together to conserve space.

Sometimes the sign is seen in black, but regardless of the color a person can infer that it is a restroom sign because of the universally recognized symbols used on the sign of a man and a woman. The shapes are always the same so that a person can tell whether it is the men's or women's restroom. Even though the man and woman may not always be on the same side of the sign, they balance each other out, making the sign appearance even on each side.

No Smoking Sign

 

This sign is universally recognized as a no-smoking sign. It is displayed in areas where smoking is prohibited. The design of this sign allows viewers to distinctly understanding that smoking is not allowed, regardless of what language they speak or what country they are in.

The sign is aligned so that the cigarette is in the middle of the sign, and a circle with  a slash is centered around the cigarette. This draws the eye immediately to the cigarette. The sign is in the shape of a vertical rectangle which is typical of most signs. It allows adequate room to display the sign's message. The sign also has balance, where the picture is equally distributed on the sign. 

The color scheme of the no-smoking sign is a simple, eye-catching scheme of red, black, and white. The black and white are neutral colors and red is a bright primary color. The use of a white background allows the attention of the viewer to focus on the red circle and the black cigarette. The color red often signifies danger or a warning and lets the viewer know not to smoke.

The sign is arranged so that there is a flame just above the end of the cigarette, indicating it is lit. The end of the cigarette is typically to the left, and the lit part of it is normally to the right. This allows for consistency from sign to sign. The sign uses a directional to indicate the picture beneath it is not allowed. This directional is the slash moving from the top left of the circle to the bottom right of the circle.

Visual Literacy with speed limits sign

Speed Limit signs shape are rectangles.The layout of the sign is as the following. The speed limit is the middle of the sign so that it's easy to read.

The colors are important. They use black and white. They outline the sign with black and the words and number is black. They fill in the rest with white so that it can be read. The arrangement of the sign is that it is vertical so that when people read the sign its easier to read that if it was horizontal.

Why is Consistency Important?

Consistency is when something is used or viewed the same way by many different people. This is important because it creates a common understanding among people in different environments. For example view the signs below:

Even though each sign is found in a different country and written in a different language, they are all understood to mean stop. We know that they mean stop because of the octagonal shape and red and white color. This demonstrates how important consistency is around the world. It allows people to go to other countries and travel safely because they can recognize the meaning of the sign and avoid traffic issues.

What is Visual Literacy?

Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate, and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image. It is based on the idea that pictures can be "read" and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading.

This is a common example of visual literacy in our lives. Whenever people see this sign it is understood that we should watch for pedestrians crossing the street. The color yellow is understood to indicate caution and to slow down because it is predominately used in traffic lights. It is a bright color that immediately attracts the attention of the observer which allows the sign's message to be noticed easier.

There are a couple different components that make up visual literacy.

•  Layout: This is composed of alignment, shape, and balance. 
• Alignment is the adjustment of an object in relation to other objects. 
• Shape is a geometrical description of the part of that space occupied by the object.
• Balance is a state of equilibrium or equal poise; equal distribution of weight or amount.
• Color: This is composed of color schemes, color wheel, and color appeal/meaning.
• Color scheme is a planned combination of colors. 
• A color wheel is a circular diagram in which primary and usually intermediate colors are arranged sequentially, so that related colors are next to each other and complementary colors are opposite. 
• Color appeal/meaning is used to create a design that is aesthetically pleasing and catches the attention of the viewer. 
• Arrangement: This is composed of proximity and directionals.
• Proximity is nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation.
• Directionals are aimed at indicating a specific direction and providing guidance.