Second-year students from the Department of Graphic Design and Multimedia at IBU had an assignment under the course Graphic Design III to solve a major ecological issue. Professor Ljubomir Todorović decided to combine this assignment with a problem that he noticed at our University. Students had to solve this problem by using road signs as a communication tool.
„After noticing a large number of cigarette butts being disposed in rain gutters at our University cafeteria rooftop, I decided to combine the assignment with this issue. Road signs done by students are printed on polycarbonate boards and are hung on the cafeteria balcony fence.“, said professor Todorović.
Exhibited road signs are part of the “Buttless Burch (no cigarette butts on Burch)” topic. This mini exhibition has two goals: first, to promote the work of our students and second, to raise awareness of ashtrays and bins for cigarette butts disposal. Students have shown their creativity and ability to understand the assignment and use it for solving a problem in the real world.
Road Sign Problem
Immediate, practical communication is the primary function of a road sign. With this in mind, students were given the assignment to create 12 road signs on the following topic: Inuit village, snail farm, poppy seed field, picnic area, pickpockets nearby, no fire allowed, Buttless Burch (no cigarette butts on Burch), butterfly garden, rocket launch, wind power plant, mudslide area, bungee jump. They had to execute each solution using only black and yellow colours. If the concept dictates, the use of an additional colour was permitted.
This problem is a vehicle for simplicity and personalisation. The intent is to inspire personal expression by giving each sign a unique life of its own. The familiar context suggests a traditional idiom, while the nonsensical topics allow for uninhibited design exploration and a chance to transcend the road sign’s functional aspects through the creation of a personal statement in the name of design exploration.