This gallery presents the collection of photos submitted for the World Of Signage Photo Contest by the readers of Smashing Magazine. We received over 2,500+ photos from our readers across the globe, and present a selection of the most interesting photos in the overview below.
The topic of this gallery is Abstract and Weird signs, i.e. signs that attract attention with their atypical look. Please notice: each photo has a certain license, provided in the description of the photo. Before using the images for private or commercial projects, make sure that the license allows you to do so. Also, you can click on the photos for a larger preview.
Please feel free to take a look at other submissions as well (links to other galleries are listed in the end of this gallery).
Putovanie Sign (?!) [ large preview ]
"Unknow sign to unknown location." Photo taken by Olariu Dragos from Romania.
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Grand Dubrovnik [ large preview ]
"Gradn Dubrovnik sign." Photo taken by Olariu Dragos from Romania.
Beach marker Texel [ large preview ]
"Beachhouse and marker on the Beach of texel, The Netherlands." Photo taken by Martijn Verwer from The Netherlands.
Close up Broken Signage [ large preview ]
"Close up of Signage graphics." Photo taken by Charlotte Simpson from UK.
Backwards Sign [ large preview ]
"A photo from the other side of the entrance door into Wagamama." Photo taken by Charlotte Simpson from UK.
Everything Will Be Ok [ large preview ]
"Photo of a randomly-placed positive message sticker. And, what do you know? Everything DID turn out OK." Licensed: Non-Commercial. Photo taken by Josh Riggs from USA.
Hey! Over here [ large preview ]
"Button of to call the stewardess." Photo taken by Carlos Prioglio from Argentina.
Creative Student Flyers [ large preview ]
"A flyer of high educational cost protest from Indonesian student, taken from University of Padjadjaran Bandung." Photo taken by Panji Firman Rahadi from Indonesia.
Kamchatka ski baze [ large preview ]
"Sign at a devastated Ski Base, Kamchatka, Russia." Photo taken by Dieter Veverka from Austria.
Drain circle [ large preview ]
"Drain-circle." Photo taken by Mikkel Schebye Johnsen from Denmark.
Burned Memories [ large preview ]
"This was taken when I was using my friend (talis.dk)’s macro lens, it’s a burned down piece of newspaper I found in an empty fireplace." Photo taken by Philip Jensen from Denmark.
Retired on Broadway [ large preview ]
"Old letter B from Broadway Theatre signage displayed in a window (San Diego)." Photo taken by Eduardo Garcia from USA.
Power in the park [ large preview ]
"A rusted Pole transmits electricy to Butler Park, Austin, TX." Photo taken by Cristal Garcia from USA.
Going up together [ large preview ]
"End of the story. The best way to ride out hard time is friends’ help." Licensed: Creative Commons Attribution. Photo taken by Mauro Bennici from Italy.
43 [ large preview ]
"Number on an old wooden door. hdr shot." Photo taken by Jonas Ginter from Germany.
London Eye logo [ large preview ]
"London Eye logo from inside the cabin." Licensed: All Rights Reserved. Photo taken by Lajos Dioszegi from United Kingdom.
Play with size [ large preview ]
"Design Center in Copenhagen, brilliantly played with sizing." Photo taken by Pitipat Srichairat from Thailand.
Toast word wall [ large preview ]
"A decorated wall in a kitchen, bringing some CHEERS atmosphere inside the place." Photo taken by Pitipat Srichairat from Thailand.
Sea Girt Lifeguard Stands [ large preview ]
"The signage on Sea Girt, NJ lifeguard stands." Photo taken by Cary Liao from USA.
Imagination [ large preview ]
"Polaroid taken of a sign Saying “Imagination” in Dutch." License: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs Creative Commons. Photo taken by Jeroen Panjer from The Netherlands.
Dad [ large preview ]
"I love you” really means “I’m thinking about you." Photo taken by Clint Turcotte from Canada.
Typewriter [ large preview ]
"My beloved old typewriter." License: Creative Common Attribution License. Photo taken by Robert Hoppe from Germany.
Communications [ large preview ]
"As seen on a steel door on a Seattle sidewalk." Photo taken by Stephen Harrison from USA.
Land [ large preview ]
"The Hollywood Sign used to read HOLLYWOODLAND until a storm tore the end down. CHinatown had a similar sign on a smaller scale, this is the tail end of that sign.." License: ©2010 Konstantin Golovchinsky, all rights reserved. Photo taken by Konstantin Golovchinsky from USA.
Design [ large preview ]
"Looking up at cantilevered sign at New School for Design in NYC." License: Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Photo taken by Chris Hiester from USA.
Rotterdam container terminal detail [ large preview ]
"A quick detail shot of the side of a straddle-carrier at the APM Terminal complex at Rotterdam port." Photo taken by Tobias Lassen from Denmark.
Over Five Trillion Galaxies [ large preview ]
"Frank Chu campaigning to reclaim the money owed him for intergalactic broadcast rights to his childhood." Licensed: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported. Photo taken by M. Quinn Sweeney from USA.
Mirrored letters [ large preview ]
"Mirrored Letters." Licensed: Creative Commons. Photo taken by Alexander Snusmumric from Russia.
I am the bin Barselona [ large preview ]
"A helpful rubbish bin at the North Barcelona bus station." Licensed: Free use, just give me credit. Photo taken by John Mertens from USA.
Haus signage [ large preview ]
"Detail of lettering on the Bauhaus Building facade in Dessau." Licensed: All rights reserved. Photo taken by Roberto Saba from Italy.
Mures [ large preview ]
"Chipped UR on a heavily textured wall." Licensed: Copyright Steven Clark with permission granted to Smashing Magazine to use in relation to this competition. Photo taken by Steven Clark from Australia.
Thanks to all participants for taking their time for preparing and sending submissions for the contest and creating a unique and diversified gallery presented above. We truly appreciate and respect your efforts and your time, folks!
You may want to take a look at other contest galleries, too:
Katrín Svana Eyþórsdóttir is a media artist and designer from Iceland. You can follow her on twitter.
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