Can Signage Be Kind?

Most no parking signs are loud and direct. Bold red letters, thick symbols, and aggressive colour blocks. They are designed to stop you in your tracks, often with a sense of urgency or warning.

But recently, I noticed a softer approach. Outside some schools, instead of the usual signs, there were hand-drawn style boards showing cartoon children holding stop signs. The message is the same, but the delivery is different. It feels more human.

These signs do not rely on fear or fines. They appeal to empathy. They remind you that this is a space for children and that safety is the real priority. The playful design language speaks gently but firmly, and somehow, that feels more powerful.

It made me wonder. Does kindness in design make us more likely to comply, not because we have to, but because we want to?