There are so many of them around now that they have become bacground ‘noise’.
My IT manager today was flabbergasted that his A4 black text huge font warning signs about the blocked sink were ignored.
I just went in there and worked out why… People use the kitchen so much that about 90% of their surroundings go unnoticed - they are blinkered. The warning signs are in the unnoticed areas - cupboard doors, kitchen door.
People walk in and their subconscious sees the warning and dismisses it because it’s just another blacktextonwhitesquare in adition to the ones that were already there.
It sometimes amazes me how many people DO pay attention to the ones on roads (I know I do). I guess they must be doing something right.
If you try harder to make your warning more obvious - everyone’s conscious will try harder to ignore it.
The third brake light on cars is the same thing. When they first came out, there was a reduction in accidents. But the reduction has dissappered because people now ignore the exra light along with the regular tail braking lights.
i’ve put “not working” or “broken” signs on copiers. on the copier, over the document handler. i’ve turned off the machine and even put a sign over the on/off switch.
people just poked through the sign on the switch, lifted the lid and tried to make copies anyway.
When I painted for theatres, I’d put tape, at eye level, with big wet paint signs, across all doors onto the stage. Doesn’t make a damn bit of difference.
