Pedestrians see advertisements and messages lined on buildings, signs and even passing cars. In many cases, the mass quantity of messages bombarding consumers all at once throughout a city can become the equivalent of white noise. During a recent visit to Indianapolis, I was excited to see that the city has taken a different approach to cut through the white noise and communicate messages in a creative way.
The city buzzes with diversity, and Indianapolis is helping to organize the movement of downtown traffic by designating areas for different modes of transportation. Crosswalks now include labels and spaces for bikes, disability transportation, and pedestrians. Not only does this use of messaging help people remember proper pedestrian etiquette, but it also helps tourists understand the flow of the city. This use of messaging helps Indianapolis crosswalks take an area of space and create a lasting diagram for pedestrian progression.
Throughout the years, crosswalks have been used for unconventional advertising efforts, but these blank canvases are mostly abused and forgotten. Indianapolis has taken the space to organize the downtown area. What message would you want to convey?
