A concept developed for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration(Statens Vegvesen) to raise awareness about traffic safety.
Speed cameras are not highly regarded amongst motorists, in fact they are regularly vandalised.
Despite its negative association, the purpose and mission of the speed camera is fundamentally good natured. The speed camera is in essence a tool to ensure safer conditions for everyone on the road, by enforcing safe driving speeds. Its function is commonly misunderstood.
The effect of the speed camera is proven to have a short term effect; drivers increase their speed after having passed a speed camera. Therefore I wanted to create a campaign that affects drivers in a way that makes them keep a responsible speed for longer.
“If everyone kept the speed limits, approximately 60 fewer would be killed and 200 fewer would be badly injured each year.”
– Statens vegvesen.
The initial thought for The Good Hearted was inspired by toys that generate the sound of a beating heart to sooth babies at nap time. The heartbeat is universally recognizable, and has a naturally relaxing effect on humans. This is utilized in The Good Hearted to subconciously reduce stress by displaying the heartbeat in a gentle fading light cycle.
While the fading heartbeat affects the driver subconciously, a concious understanding is also an essential element of the installation.
The concious aspect of the installation involves an emotional or rational appeal that makes the driver aware of his or her own actions. The focus has therefore been to convey this message in a way that is not distracting, but still powerful.
In order to obtain an effect that is long lasting, rather than only effective at the point of observation, I utilized a simple shape to make it both easy to understand, and to recall.
The shape is a simplified and abstracted interpretation of the human heart, masked in a clean red colour that makes it distinctly visible also in daytime.
The Good Hearted is compiled of several visual cues, that together build the understanding of a human heart. When juxtaposing the speed camera, it is a reference to saving lives and encouraging consideration.