For those of us who do not live within a reasonable driving range of Syracuse (and therefore blessed to traverse through the local airport), we were amongst some great works of engineering this past week.

Airport signs offer something for everyone: For the graphic design folks, a chance to gawk at clean lettering, for the illiterate, pretty pictures of stick figures toting luggage and for those lacking an innate sense of direction, a chance to actually make the flight home.

The variety of colors, fonts, inclusion (or not) of Braille and creative positioning of these all-important signs can make delays, mechanical failures, snow-ins and missed flights near bliss. Who wouldn’t want to read ‘Gate 25: Waiting area for passenger transport to Gates 35-45’ over and over again? It definitely beats any world political economy or anthropology reading.

Best airport signage: Reagan in D.C., Kansas City International, Seattle-Tacoma International and Denver International.

Worst airport signage: sorry to say, but Syracuse, Nashville International and Chicago-Midway.

If ‘Cosmo’ quizzes and candid celeb pics in ‘People’ should cease to entertain during your next airport stay, look up from the pages and take in some of this century’s least-appreciated art.

akalliso@syr.edu

Published on March 17, 2008 at 12:00 pm