ADVERTISEMENT

The Absurd Sign Project is a Facebook group that, as the name suggests, is dedicated to sharing photos of bizarre intentionally (and not) funny signs.

From pointing to Horneytown to warning about an invisible fence and advertising a definitely not haunted house, the group's 100,000 members stumble across all sorts of unexpected messages all over the world.

In a time when life can sometimes feel overwhelming, a lighthearted laugh might be just what we need to remember not to take everything too seriously. And this place can provide it.

According to Signs & Lines, a company that has been making great signs for over 35 years, a good sign needs to be aware of these four critical things:

  • Audience – a sharp focus on key users;
  • Message – design, brand, location, and visibility;
  • Environment – the sign's location and nearby architectural features;
  • Function – durability, information, static or interactive.

Clearly, most of the signs we see in the pictures have ignored at least one of these aspects.

"Irrespective of the sign type the key premise of a sign is to convey a message," Signs & Lines wrote.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Usually this is a relatively short, sharp communication. The number one task of any sign is to get a message across as quickly and effectively as possible."

ADVERTISEMENT

Business owners should remember that their signs are kind of a big deal. "Whether static or digital signage, your customers, users, guests, staff, students, and visitors need you to have good signage ... [because] it's the first visual connection with your company," Signs & Lines explained.

Good signs will:

  • help them find your business;
  • assist in their navigation of your organization;
  • convince them that you are professional;
  • assure them that they are in the right place.
ADVERTISEMENT

"Transitioning from good to great signage involves many different aspects of design including logo, creative, positioning, colors, and manufacturing ability," Signs & Lines added.

Once designed in detail, a typical sign may undergo a number of steps to achieve a high-quality result. These include:

  • routering of materials to create precision shapes;
  • fabrication of metals to form rigid structures and frameworks;
  • spray painting of sign elements to automotive standards;
  • graphics imagery to bring the messaging to life;
  • illumination by LED or neon for 24/7 visibility;
  • assembly of all components;
  • installation on-site at height or in the ground.

Or, in other words, there are plenty of areas where they can fall short!

ADVERTISEMENT
#16

Funny-Absurd-Signs-Pics

Peter Buitenhuis Report

Add photo comments
POST
Hawkmoon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same problem in my town where a street is named "Rue du gros gland" or "Big acorn street". I let you guess what acorn refers to in french slang...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Funny-Absurd-Signs-Pics

Mark Hall Report

Add photo comments
POST
waddles
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what about semi-foolish pigs? if you take those, then boy do i have a candidate for you

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

Funny-Absurd-Signs-Pics

Irwin Leibson Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#24

Funny-Absurd-Signs-Pics

Chris McCarrick Report

#27

Funny-Absurd-Signs-Pics

Irwin Leibson Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#30

Funny-Absurd-Signs-Pics

Larisa Bondarets Report

Note: this post originally had 41 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.