Summary

Kate Canales explores the world of everyday instructional signs, revealing how humans creatively solve design problems through additional guidance and annotations. Her talk focuses on ubiquitous signage in public spaces like bathrooms, elevators, and point-of-sale machines, where original design often falls short of intuitive use. Through hundreds of photographs, she transforms her initial frustration with bad design into an appreciation for human problem-solving and the tender, collaborative nature of helping others navigate complex environments. Ultimately, these signs represent a small but meaningful way we care for and support each other in shared spaces.