Communication is about clarity. The more muddled the message—the more confusion you’re bound to see on the reader’s face. When it comes to the signs you see in public, you normally expect all of them to be brief, precise, and informative. Alas! Nothing could be farther from the truth. Far from everyone’s a pro when it comes to writing and advertising skills, and the ‘Useless, Unsuccessful, and/or Unpopular Signage’ Facebook group is proof enough.
An online group bringing together nearly 191k members, the UUU Signage project has been around since November 2014. Since then, it has collected a vast archive of some of the very worst and funniest signs to be found on Planet Earth. We’re featuring a selection of the very best ones, so go on, have a scroll and a glance. Don’t forget to upvote the signs that made you laugh and made you more confused than you expected, and if you’re a fan, go ahead and join the UUU Signage group.
I had a friendly chat about the most important things when making a sign—any sign—with Lisa McLendon. She is the William Allen White Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications and the coordinator of the Bremner Editing Center at the University of Kansas. You’ll find the insights she shared with Bored Panda below, dear Readers.
Remember… keep it simple—keep it short—keep it clear.
#1 I Didn’t See A Cat Going Out But I Did Observe A Walrus Sashay Towards The Door
Image source: Kori A Butler
#2 This Is The Kind Of Secret Doctors Don’t Want You To Know
Image source: Samuel Maffit
#3 I Honked
Image source: Andrew Shanks
#4 On The Community Noticeboard At My Local Shops
Image source: Sarah Strahan
#5 An Employee Caught Me Taking This Pic And Said “Ah Yes, Another One Of Our Many Exciting Deals!”
Image source: Lauren Carrigan
#6 Make Good Choices
Image source: Kate Anderson
#7 Lmao You Go Girl
Image source: Ashley Rosado
#8 Yeahhhhh Right
Image source: Stephanie Croshaw
#9 Someone Had Enough
Image source: Samantha Tame
#10 I’ve Been Called Many Things In Life. But This Is A First
Image source: Cailey Bisgould
#11 I’ve Never Seen A Bumper Sticker I Wanted More
Image source: Melissa Anne
#12 Well That Escalated Quickly
Image source: Chyleigh Harmon
#13 When You’ve Had Enough Of Your Man
Image source: Kelly Sedlak
#14 I Have A Bad Feeling About This Rest Stop Bathroom
Image source: Anna Hicks
#15 The Mechanic Left This In My Girlfriend’s Car After Being Serviced… The Car Is Still Dirty
Image source: Michael Dylan Faas
#16 Found Some Paperless Towels At Walmart Today. What Will They Think Of Next?
Image source: Hansen Murphy
#17 Please Don’t Follow Anybody Home
Image source: Shravan Sunil
#18 This Was A Couple Years Ago…and I Know What They Meant But… Still
Image source: Dave Brideau
#19 Just Press Three 333 Times
Image source: Nigel Champion
#20 I Don’t Even Know
Image source: David Bjorklund
#21 Oh No
Image source: Vivian Minus
#22 Pfantastic Signage
Image source: Aaron Schiff
#23 Um… I Guess?
Image source: Caleb Hilston
#24 Whatever Gets Them In Therapy I Guess?
Image source: Robin Caligiure
#25 Is This The New Saying Now?? Mandela Effect?
Image source: Taylor Mcclelland
#26 Do Not Teach Fish Man He Will Destroy Us All
Image source: Hunter Kinder
#27 “We Gave It A Second Thought And Decided That You Guys Suck”
Image source: Rachel Mower
#28 Spotted At A Local Dollar Tree A Few Years Ago
Image source: Kerri Kay
#29 This Was In Front Of My Town Hall For A Couple Weeks Before Anyone Realized And It’s My Favorite Thing To Ever Happen Here
Image source: Ariel Sullivan
#30 No Thanks
Image source: Kerri Saterfield
#31 Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation Trying To Be Relatable
Image source: Evan Waite
#32 Typical Capitalism. Manufactured Scarcity
Image source: Miles Izzo
#33 Are You Speaking From Experience, Sir?
Image source: Vera Bruursema
#34 We Don’t Pay A Living Wage, But Work Is Work Right. This Is A Circle K By The Way
Image source: Kevin Laviolette
#35 Baa Baa Black.. Clam?
Image source: Howard Davies
#36 This Has Big “I Think Dogs Should Vote” Vibes
Image source: Jessica Kracoff
#37 No Touching Vaggies
Image source: Catherine Robertson
#38 When You Want To Insult The Customer But Have To Be Politically Correct
Image source: Nicole Eckstrom
#39 Okay
Image source: Kate McKay
#40 Fish And Chizz??
Image source: Sam Doble
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