One of the streets I often need to take on my way home has a lot of large leafy trees. Their roots are raised (or “sticking out”) and it makes it an uncomfortable driving experience. I am not sure if the raised roots of the tree on the road are because the road’s asphalt is worn out and/or the tree’s soil depth is limited? Either way, it is extremely bumpy to drive. It makes me physically uncomfortable to the point that I drive less than 5mph (and that further causes me worry over whether someone is going to slam into the back of me even if it’s a local side street), and it makes me emotionally uncomfortable because I worry I am about the tree roots’ health.
Close to campus one of the pedestrian walkway areas has a “Do Not Push” button sign. I find it irritating when way finding signage breaks its own conventions, forcing me to waste my cognition on noticing something that goes against intuition (or actually it’s more about noticing something that forces you to ignore an established rule the rest of the infrastructure imperatively orders you to follow).
Additionally, the sign is up saying “Do Not Push” (the button for the cross walk), but how do I know that this sign is still valid? The first time I encountered this sign I felt a micro-anxiety over whether the sign was still valid, and whether crossing the street was going to be a stress-free and safe experience.
When life is already stressful, and brimming with work and demands.. I don’t want public infrastructure to have to cause me to double-take or worry.
This is a found image.. but I was also thinking about the seating infrastructure designed to prevent people from sleeping outdoors – basically to deter and target the unhoused population. I find it disturbing that as a city Los Angeles (and many other cities) deploy public infrastructure that penalizes the marginalized, and the poor. There are more insidious ways that is achieved.. in my neighborhood shop owners place very large planters to take up most of the sidewalk so that encampments cannot grow near their businesses.
This is an example of designing to deter. Further, instead of considering the systemic issues, the designer is placed in the role of stripping away dignity or comfort from the targeted (non)user.