Research Blog 1: Stop Parking Like Assholes Please

This project was the result of mere frustration. It is beyond me that people will park so carelessly so that, those seeking parking are unable to park behind your apartment building simply because someone decided to take up two spots for their dented Prius, forcing me to park two blocks away. So I picked up some scrap wood in the woodshop while I waited for my wood to steam ( a project for a different art class), and got designing. I wanted to combine humor with a message that would hopefully get through to my careless neighbors. If all the cars park close enough and far enough to the left, we can fit 6 cars in the spaces. But, people don’t always do this, parking in hard to maneuver diagonal patters or far into another car’s space. Combining 6 little png images I edited the stock watermarks out of with fun typefaces and a note that reads “PLEASE PARK MINDFULLY SO WE CAN ALL FIT!”. The little images consist of 6 different vehicles, ranging from a swat car a police car, a drag racer, or a pickup truck. I was soon watching the laser cutter engrave my design into the wood, creating sharp lines and a sharp burnt wood smell. The next step is adding a sealant coat and finding a way to attach it to the outside of my apartment building. Hopefully, it will improve the lives of not only my parking experience but the parking experience of all the residents at 961 looking to park closer than two blocks from their door!

Click on the image below to see design tools and the engraved sign.