Jerrell,
I was struck by what you said about visual identity in signage. I was in Berlin, Germany a few summers ago and I was introduced to Ampelmännchen or Ampelmann. During the division of East and West Germany, Ampelmann was the walk/don’t walk sign and has now become a symbol of the city. I saw countless Ampelmann shops selling souvenirs with Ampelmann (and Ampelwoman, and Ampelgirl…you get the picture).
After coming back from Germany, I began to notice those around me with shirts, coffee mugs, and signs of Ampelmann in America. How cool is it that the walk/don’t walk symbol of a city has become almost a pop-culture icon. Ampelmann really speaks to the visual identity of Berlin and even of Germany.
I was struck by what you said about visual identity in signage. I was in Berlin, Germany a few summers ago and I was introduced to Ampelmännchen or Ampelmann. During the division of East and West Germany, Ampelmann was the walk/don’t walk sign and has now become a symbol of the city. I saw countless Ampelmann shops selling souvenirs with Ampelmann (and Ampelwoman, and Ampelgirl…you get the picture).
After coming back from Germany, I began to notice those around me with shirts, coffee mugs, and signs of Ampelmann in America. How cool is it that the walk/don’t walk symbol of a city has become almost a pop-culture icon. Ampelmann really speaks to the visual identity of Berlin and even of Germany.