SEXGREGATION
The language of public signs, based on simplicity and incorporating stereotypes by necessity, is an attempt at universal comprehension. This is nowhere more true than with toilet signs whose purpose it is to segregate the sexes. While they are generally made to be understood by adults and children of all cultures and races, the omnipresence of the usual western-style silhouettes is somewhat dull given that equally functional alternatives exist. Almost anything symbolizing male or female could function as a design to segregate. Of course, some are ‘local’ signs, incorporating text for instance, which an outsider could not easily decipher, particularly when needing to pee. And yet, in many countries text is still largely used, maybe due to not hosting many tourists or foreigners, or perhaps precisely to taunt them.
Generally, my designs tend towards universal apprehension and thus real-world applicability, but in the series of over 200 designs there are also a number of abstract or niche signs, that can be understood only by a selected group. I hope to show that alternative symbols and pictographs exist that can also be humorous, conceptual and creative.
Interview given at the Water Tower Art Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria, June 2011: