What is wrong with this pdf...........................................................................

[Bobby H]

Graphic design and designing signs in particular takes a little more skill, talent and expertise than: "hold my beer."

But just about anyone thinks they can do graphic design work because just about anyone thinks "graphic designer" is a phony job anyone can do. It's not like being a diesel mechanic, carpenter or anything else legit like that. Just rattle some gibberish into the computer keyboard like they do on any CSI TV episode and the project spits out in 2 minutes. That's the public perception of "graphic designer."

Another problem is there are lots of people getting paid full time to do design work at ad agencies, print shops, sign shops, etc who are honestly not very good at what they do. It's a battle in my own workplace to convince people to care about details. It's easier to not give a $#1T and just crank out a lot of cheap, rapid-fire garbage. Caring about finish quality or design details is just too artsy-fartsy. This gives customers more incentive to take the D-I-Y route for their creative work. The growth of tools like Canva are a response to that.

Either way I worry we're in a race-to-the-bottom economics situation. All this hype about "AI" could hit the accelerator on that. Awhile back it seemed learning how to code JavaScript, Python, etc would be a good hedge. "AI" is figuring how to automatically write code faster than it can create things.

Meanwhile, the general public may not know all the specific ingredients that can make a business sign or store front look bad or ugly. But they kind of know it when they see it. And when there is too much ugly going on in their town that can build into backlash. City councils take action and pass sweeping ordinances to try to visually "clean up" the town.

The sign industry has quite a few people who are highly talented and produce great quality work. Yet anyone can become disillusioned and decide to change careers. If karaoke-design takes over and forces the real artists to become electricians, bankers or whatever it will only speed up the trend of very restrictive sign ordinances being signed into law. These sign codes are getting passed in both politically "red" and "blue" locations. There are places here in Oklahoma (Edmond) where they've banned LED variable message signs and other categories of signs. I worry about that crap happening here in Lawton.

 

[JBurton]

There are places here in Oklahoma (Edmond) where they've banned LED variable message signs and other categories of signs.

Ok, you can't complain about a ban on electric message centers in your good graphic design tirade. EMC's have a place, but they take any and all creativity out of the actual design of a cabinet when 3/4 of the area is going to be this display. I believe bans on EMC's actually drive creativity in the market.
The bigger problem of driving restrictive sign ordinances is print shops slapping anything up for a customer. Around here you're limited to 25% window coverage... or you were until a couple print shops started covering store fronts in perf. The city realized their 25% rule had no teeth to deal with this scofflaws, and just left the wording in the ordinance and stopped enforcing it. Now if you're a diligent sign shop worker checking for permit restrictions in my city, you'll see that there is a limit, and would quote accordingly, while the competition that either doesn't care or is in the know of how the city enforces it's ordinances, will quote the customer full coverage and win the bid.

 

[Humble PM]

Picture an AutoCadkesque corportation offering a subscription model to municipalities, to help them digitise their planning records for all (sign) permits. Chuck an AI at it and you've got the engineers out of business...

Get it to check the graphics, the social media responses, the portfolios of the top selling firms... ...

 

[Bobby H]

I don't like outright bans on any sign categories. LED variable message signs (aka electronic message centers) are a worthwhile upgrade to changeable copy cabinets, billboard faces and several other display types.

But the point is cities like Edmond, OK have gone well past just banning EMC's. It is difficult to install any kind of new street sign there any larger than a tombstone. Most of the existing street signs there are aging, grand-fathered structures. They also have serious restrictions on new building signs. Meanwhile the city is installing more bushes and trees along the main surface streets. Some places have so much landscaping features installed you have to wonder if they're literally trying to hide the store fronts from motorists.

These kinds of policies for signs are not isolated. The growth of restrictive sign codes is happening fastest in upper income locations. And many towns striving to improve want to emulate what they see in "successful" communities. One thing I do like is them burying a lot of overhead power lines underground. Columns of power poles and overhead lines are their own kind of visual clutter. But overall these "beautification" efforts are probably not going to be good for us. If much of America's retail and business districts end up looking like Glendale, AZ a lot of us sign makers are going to be out of a job. Sign makers not giving a damn about the kind of stuff they're creating and installing will just make that happen faster.