The people at Rain City Housing and Support Society developed a functional and practical advertising campaign on park benches that aimed at providing mini-shelters for the homeless in Vancouver. Because of Vancouver’s “mild” winters compared to other parts of Canada, there is an increased population of homeless individuals. In an effort to draw the attention of Vancouver’s lack of housing and mental health resources, Rain City Housing and Support Society aimed to help the homeless rather than rejecting them by modifying benches that transform into mini-shelters and literally provide a roof over one’s head. The designers of the benches focused on the ease of transform from bench into shelter by installing a handle that simply “folded out like airplane tray tables.” The message(s) on the benches, which are printed in black sans-serif font on a vibrant white background, is straightforward and to the point; there is no complicated deciphering needed. For instance, in this design, the message on the bench simply reads, “Find Shelter Here.” The simplistic qualities and functionalism of the bench are what result in not only a successful design, but a minor yet extremely effective solution to helping the homeless population of Vancouver. Although a resourceful way to provide for the homeless, there may be concerns from those in the community where these benches are set up of attracting large amounts of homeless individuals to one area. One may question the amount of shelters provided and the possibility of homeless individuals claiming such shelters for long periods of time.
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