Why Being Obvious Can Be Original Too
Sometimes we look for the smartest ideas and the way-out-there jumping off points to tell a story. We look for the abstract to make people think that our products must be worth knowing, since they can’t be told in a simplistic manner.
And yet sometimes being obvious can be original too. Take a look at this picture of a parking lot opposite the Kansas City Library in the U.S. state of Missouri.
If you came across this building in the street, two things would be apparent – it’s a place tied into books. And it’s cool as hell.
Some other things that stand out?
- It doesn’t have artsy pretensions, although it’s definitely a work of art.
- It doesn’t shout, “Look at me!” but it does grab your attention.
- By going with the classic titles it lends itself to timeless quality.
Sometimes we look for the smartest ideas and the way-out-there jumping off points to tell a story. But as this image shows, being obvious can grab someone’s attention in the simplest of ways.
Something more businesses could learn from. No?
photo credit: jonathan_moreau
17 Responses to “Why Being Obvious Can Be Original Too”
Oops. Consider me corrected – cheers, Ari, updating the post now.
Still pretty damn cool, though
We Midwesterners can get artsy with the best of them!
Thanks for sharing Danny – got me thinking this morning.
.-= Frank Dickinson´s most recent blog post …Just For Today. =-.Garage or library pretty cool. Point made. Thanks for sharing this find
and here i was wondering why you said “of a parking lot”
and then i was wondering why the library had no windows, and was wondering if it was extra cool and had windows that we couldn’t see from the outside but from the inside you could look out just fine…
alas, it’s just a parking lot… still freaking cool
Even cooler if the windows were only accessible by “pulling back” book shades.
I think having a garage FOR a library these days is an achievement in itself : )
.-= Mark W Schaefer´s most recent blog post …A Twitter success story: Search leads to new market discovery =-.Where can I find me one of them? I’ll book the ticket!
Danny:
What an awesome find/share. Never being to Kansas City myself I had no idea they had such a cool facade on the structure.
.-= Michelle Mangen´s most recent blog post …Hiring a Virtual Assistant =-.There’s a website with a whole bunch of similar pictures that was shared with me yesterday too:
http://www.strangebuildings.com/
Some great stuff there
Books are neat! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being obvious. Who doesn’t like the Big Boy statues or the taco joints shaped like a sombrero?
Taco joints shaped like sombreros? Sign me up, TJ
What a great find!
Danny,
It’s obvious you’re original.Anyone willing to place a photo of a parking lot (books) on their blog and then apply it to as a lesson is ORIGINAL.
That’s why I read your articles.
.-= Greg Nemer´s most recent blog post …Starting An Online Business, Again =-.Hey there Greg,
Thanks a lot fella, really appreciate that – lets me know my “wants” for the blog are being met. At least so far – make sure to nudge me if/when I slip
I wish you’d linked directly to http://www.kclibrary.org/community-bookshelf and not to the library’s Wikipedia page — for I thought you were pulling my goat.
The picture is actually a facade of a parking garage which is adjacent to the library; it’s not for the library itself, a much older and more stately building.
The picture speaks to me about how something unique can replace the stereotype of ugly, as parking garages tend to be.
Thanks for sharing.
.-= Ari Herzog´s most recent blog post …Insights of Facebook Fans Liking My Pages =-.