Design

Vacation Vocation

Signposts bridge the gap between direction and decoration.

Published

4 years ago

August 11, 2020

Jeff Russ Signs of the Times August 2020 Issue

Signposts bridge the gap between direction and decoration.

In the pantheon of sign types, few form-factors instantly evoke that “on vacation” feeling quite like a whimsical multi-destination signpost.

These colorful creations remind us that we are thousands of miles (or kilometers) from “civilization” in a very literal way. Rustic or ritzy, knocked-out with a wood-burner or exquisitely painted with a sable brush, these signs all conjure the same emotion: wanderlust.

Who hasn’t perused a decorated signpost and instantly imagined the various destinations? Who hasn’t fiddled with the paper umbrella in their drink and casually wondered if it’s raining back home?

PHOTO GALLERY (7 IMAGES)

Signposts from around the world bridge the gap between direction and decoration.

Jeff Russ

Jeff Russ is a content studio manager for SmartWork Media and was the senior art director of Signs of the Times from 1996-2021. A graphic designer and illustrator with an interest in sign design and sign history, Jeff documents important, interesting and notable design trends in the sign industry as a contributor to Signs of the Times. He has written dozens of features for Signs, and his column, Design Matters, was published for more than a decade.

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