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Design seems like such a simple, elementary thing when you think about it, but hordes of people keep getting the basics wrong, often with hilarious and side-splitting results. Buildings are hard to design, as are other objects, but we usually take the lettering and layout of sentences and phrases for granted, as though everyone will be able to understand us no matter how.we.words.our.place.

Well, the truth is, designing text so it’s readable isn’t as easy as you’d expect. There’s a system to it. There are processes that must be followed. Typography rules that ought never be broken. Except that those rules are broken all the time by some oblivious people. Bored Panda collected some of the best examples of incredibly bad text design that is wonderfully enjoyable to make fun of. From lame ads to funny posters, nodofy is safe from bad design. So upvote the best/worst fails, see if your friends can figure out what’s actually written, and let us know in the comments if you've seen design fails that compare to these ones.

We know how much you enjoy these funny fails concerning design, so you can read Bored Panda’s previous posts about them here, here, here, here, and here.

#1

How Do I Apply?

How Do I Apply?

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Vic
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The person preparing this sign was surely tripping on something..

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JeffC
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well I read it incorrectly first, saw your comment then had to do a double take LMAO!

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Kristof De Smet
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can even read this in two ways: or you get free drugs, or you don't need to work...

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Katherine Heasley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny how your brain subs in what you expect to see, isn't it? It took me a couple of minutes, too.

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Norman van Druten
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The way my twisted mind read that: "This is a Work (Free Drug) Place." Where do I sign up?

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similarly
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While I can't imagine anybody actually making a mistake like this on a sign, if it's photoshopped, they did a good job. Even in photoshop it can be difficult not to leave little signs here and there that an image has been tampered with. I can't find any of the usual markers here. That doesn't mean it's not photoshopped. It just means that if it IS photoshopped, someone took a lot of effort to erase the signs, something I wouldn't normally see on something trivial like a joke. So, hey: if you photoshopped this, good job! I'm impressed.

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'Adilah Wafa
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm 60% positive it's not photoshopped. Their fb page also seems to have a lot of typos lol

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Joshua Seaman
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like someone just photoshopped the words work and drug. Not a real sign.

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Xanthe LeBlanc
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I worked in the printing industry. No way would I have let that sign get made without double checking with my client first.

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Kathy Valentine
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love the bottles of water hanging from the sign. Cuz you know...cotton mouth?

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Mathew Shaw
Community Member
4 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Monika Soffronow
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again, free advertising for the drug cartels and everyone else making money out of drug addicts and their families, friends, and victims of drug-related crime and violence. Besides, it is Photoshopped.

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#2

Noted

Noted

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#3

Apparently Scary Jesus Is A Thing

Apparently Scary Jesus Is A Thing

Bausdria Report

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Vic
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you are on a fishing trip. Walks on water behind you and goes BOO!!

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One of the online communities where similar text design fails are shared daily is the subreddit ‘Don’t Dead Open Inside,’ which prides itself on collecting the most egregious examples of signs and media that don’t make any sense if you read them normally. The community, which was established in May 2014, is large, having grown to over 513,000 members.

Bored Panda reached out to the 'Don't Dead Open Inside' subreddit moderators. According to one of them, the community was inspired to form because of the 'Don't Dead Open Inside' frame from the very first episode of the hit TV show The Walking Dead.

According to one moderator, people make mistakes while designing text because "they're either not thinking or they want to be original. Our main mission statement is to show them that they are wrong."

They also had advice for those individuals willing to step up their game design-wise: "People in the west read left to right, then top to bottom. Do not "liven up" your text by making it "quirky". Hard to read means lost attention which translates to lost revenue."

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#5

This Terribly Worded Sign I Saw Today. Sorry, I’ll Pick Up My Dog’s Poop... Wouldn’t Want To Ruin Your Child Eating Experience

This Terribly Worded Sign I Saw Today. Sorry, I’ll Pick Up My Dog’s Poop... Wouldn’t Want To Ruin Your Child Eating Experience

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#6

Well, Uh... I Guess That's A Good Motto

Well, Uh... I Guess That's A Good Motto

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Canva has some handy tips for those of you willing to up your design game when it comes to words. For example, Canva suggests that you limit the number of fonts that you use and use simple ones, rather than complex ones that might not mesh together well.

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#9

Baby Needs Beers & Wines

Baby Needs Beers & Wines

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Spacing, something most of us rarely think about, is also important and can bring about radically different effects simply by eliminating the negative space between letters, words, and sentences.

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#11

This Habitat For Humanity Van

This Habitat For Humanity Van

EasterChimp Report

#12

So My Campus Had A Suicide Awareness And Prevention Day

So My Campus Had A Suicide Awareness And Prevention Day

KBid-1998 Report

Meanwhile, colors are equally important: use them to your advantage to create harmony between different parts of the text. Use contrasting and complementary colors. Lines can be used to guide the reader’s attention and create symmetry; however, badly used lines can turn a sign or a design into a catastrophe. Think you’ve got all that? Good. Let us know how you’d fix the text designs in this list.

#13

No Safety. Smoking First

No Safety. Smoking First

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#14

Who Else Is Donating To End Children?

Who Else Is Donating To End Children?

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#15

Don't Save A Life. Be Afraid To Give Blood

Don't Save A Life. Be Afraid To Give Blood

youllneverfindmeman Report

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Grapeling
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you this is very helpful. I'll tell me friends too :D

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#17

If You Hard, Then You Hard

If You Hard, Then You Hard

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#18

Sorry Guys, You Can’t Let Your Pets Cook Bicycles Here

Sorry Guys, You Can’t Let Your Pets Cook Bicycles Here

PikachuIce Report

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#20

Please Do Not Take It Home. Leave Litter Here

Please Do Not Take It Home. Leave Litter Here

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#21

Just Purchased This Low Quality Fried Chicken At The Grocery Store

Just Purchased This Low Quality Fried Chicken At The Grocery Store

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#22

If You Were In A Car, Would You Know What Accident To Do?

If You Were In A Car, Would You Know What Accident To Do?

MrGrampton Report

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Holosexual
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so stressful no I wouldn't know what accident to do, this is too much responsibility

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#23

Smash Immigrants Welcome Racism

Smash Immigrants Welcome Racism

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#25

I Only Saw The Left Window At First And Got Very Confused

I Only Saw The Left Window At First And Got Very Confused

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#26

This New Wall Art In My Office

This New Wall Art In My Office

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#27

Our To Help Trollies You Move

Our To Help Trollies You Move

INTP36 Report

#28

7 Surprising Black Ways To Use Beans

7 Surprising Black Ways To Use Beans

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Hello it Smee
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get the stupid title, but seriously black bean smoothies sounds gross!!!!!!!

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#29

So I Fart Old Dust

So I Fart Old Dust

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#30

They Are, In Fact, A Particular Sub-Species Of Rock

They Are, In Fact, A Particular Sub-Species Of Rock

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#31

The Design School I Graduated From Sent This Postcard Out

The Design School I Graduated From Sent This Postcard Out

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#33

When Your Gym Tryies Hard To Motivate You But Fails To Make Any Sense

When Your Gym Tryies Hard To Motivate You But Fails To Make Any Sense

james_pawned Report

#35

Vicious Inc... What?!

Vicious Inc... What?!

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#37

From Afar, This Sign Has A Completely Different Meaning

From Afar, This Sign Has A Completely Different Meaning

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#38

Wet Private Clay Parties

Wet Private Clay Parties

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#40

Never Ever Ever Beef. Frozen Always

Never Ever Ever Beef. Frozen Always

ManWitoutSocks Report

Note: this post originally had 108 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.