A Sign I Find Effective
The black and yellow color choice definitely helps this sign stand out. It breaks through the noise by contradicting the typical mental model that political signs should be blue or red. The color choice is also employing threat detection – in nature, black and yellow typically signifies danger or poisonousness, as the two are often seen on bees, spiders, and snakes.
Black and yellow is also a common color combination for warning signs. In this way, the color choice is being used as a framing device – voters should act cautiously before voting for Katie Porter. The association with higher taxes is another negative framing device.
The framing is so persuasive that Katie Porter’s supporters felt compelled to add a clarification, hoping to alter the negative frame to a positive one (although in Orange County, it’s uncertain that proclaiming higher taxes on the rich will be seen as a positive frame).
The sign’s simplicity, symmetry, and the iconic representation of the equal sign all contribute to increasing the design’s visibility as well.
A Sign I Find Ineffective
This sign is completely illegible. It’s using uppercase, title case, and mixed case words; multiple typefaces; bold and italics; and inconsistent spacing and alignment. This is a textbook example of why highlighting methods should be used sparingly – this sign is noisy, ineffective, and impossible to read.
Couldn’t agree more on the illegible second sign, Joseph! The font is also not consistent and makes for an eyesore banner.
The black-yellow combination got me thinking about two examples – first, traffic/road signs which are indeed a sign of warning/information to alert drivers, bikers, pedestrians, etc. second, which is kinda interesting in some countries (Singapore, Spain?, and India) its the color of taxis.