Signs convey welcome
Story and photos by Russ Grayson
Design ideas for community gardens…
SIGNAGE is important in community gardens. Placed at the garden entrance, it helps to establish an ambience, a feeling, around the garden.
Official-looking signs are neither welcoming nor unwelcoming. They lack emotion, but emotion is important to how we experience community gardens. Informal signage welcomes visitors and gardeners.
That, a welcoming informality, is demonstrated on these signs at the University of Tasmania’s city centre campus. Notice the use of graphics. They disclose what happens in the garden. Graphics can be a substitute for words.
Notice, to, that the lettering is large enough to be read from a distance and is a contrasting colour to the plywood background, making it readable.
Well-designed signage educates and welcomes.
