Street signs in Lisbon made me question every standard I ever followed

I was in Lisbon last month and the azulejo tiles on the street name signs caught my eye. They are hand painted, slightly uneven, and each one looks like a tiny piece of art instead of a uniform metal plate. Everyone I talked to there said they love them, but I think they are actually hard to read from a moving car. The old style looks great in photos, but the practical side of signage gets lost. Has anyone else seen a city where the charm of the design hurts how well it works in real traffic?

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the_lee7d ago

I spent a week driving around Lisbon last spring and honestly found the tiles easier to read than most American signs. The white and blue contrast pops way more than the faded green metal plates we have back home. Plus the tiles are all at the same height on the corner buildings, so you know exactly where to look. I get the charm vs function debate, but I never once missed a turn there, and I got lost twice in Chicago last month.