Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 13:28:56 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Subject: List Stickers Opinion
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Volks,
At the risk of being lynched, I have an observation/suggestion on how to
improve the stickers (gulp).
But first I want to thank Karl Wolz for his great effort in producing and
mailing the stickers out to us... as well as thank the entire list committee
and the artist (forgot his name)... a good group effort.
I like the stickers. I put them on my Van today, and it's nice to be showing
that I am a member of the list community... And nice the think that soon I
will spot the rest of you out on the road.
But this spotting you all is what has me concerned. After installing my
stickers, I noticed that they aren't real noticeable.... seems like this was
one of the main selection criteria for voting on the stickers.... oh well,
just cuz the most people vote for something doesn't mean things will turn
out the way you expect.... (remember Nixon?).... :(
Anyway, not to disparage the stickers because I do think they look good...
nice clean design that does represent what we are all about... but they just
don't stand out.
I think the reasons for this are two fold: first, the lines are not bold,
and second, there is no background color; the background is clear.... this
see through effect allows what ever is behind the sticker to distract the
eye.... for instance, I put my large blue sticker on the upper left corner
of my rear window... but the busyness of the curtains on the inside of the
window distract and from the sticker design.
So my solution was to cut a piece of white paper the same shape about 1/2
inch bigger than the sticker and tape it onto the inside of the rear window
right behind the sticker. The white contrasts with the blue of the sticker
lines and makes it pop... MUCH more noticeable.
This is pretty much the same idea as why I choose to use the small white
sticker in the lower left corner of the front windshield... the white
contrast with the black of my dash....
Still, even with the contrast that I was able to achieve with the above
solutions... it seems to me the sticker could be MUCH more visible at a
distance (like on coming traffic or across a parking lot).
An example of what I'm thinking of is the scuba diving sticker... red
rectangle with a white slash... very visible for a long distance.
So my suggestion:::: (gulp, this is where I get lynched)...
Use the same sticker design with a bright and contrasting background. For
instance, blue design and bright orange background... (of course other color
combinations are possible, but as highway crews and the Coast Guard have
found, colors like red and orange are the most eye catching)...
With colors like this the larger format of the stickers would not be
necessary... the smaller one with a bright orange background would be just
as noticeable as the scuba diving sticker.
Of course, the stickers are done and on the vans... and who wants to go
through all that again???...
Well, if you want to try it anyway, just get some orange paper, cut it the
shape of the sticker, and tape it on the inside of the window behind the
sticker... who knows, you might start a trend... and who knows, the list
members may like it enough that they request it when the next bunch of
stickers are made up....
my 2 1/2 cents... just had to get it off my chest :)
And, please, those of you who worked on the stickers... please don't take
this as personal criticism... I think you did a great job!
Bill