When things get mainstream, they get boring. When things get boring, people stop paying attention to them. Signs are very important but we don’t really pay much heed to them. If a hallway has a sign “No Running”, our mind will register it and read it. But, it will not really enforce us to obey. People have started using alternate and creative ways to get others to actually obey the signs. Casa Ceramica, a floor tile company from the UK, recently gained much popularity on social media for using optical illusion tiles in the hallway to prevent people from running.
The inspiration behind the illusion was to spread awareness that tiles can be used in a number of creative ways. The spokesperson of the company told insider “the inspiration was to create an entrance themed on illusions and exceed expectations of how tiles can be used.”
Starting from Reddit, it gained traction on Twitter and the owner Duncan Cook took advantage of the opportunity to market his product. As you can see in the first picture, it looks like a big hole on the floor which would make anyone watch their step.
The illusion works both ways. It looks like a hole in the floor from one side whereas looks like a bump or a bulge emerging from the floor if viewed from the opposite end.
Even though the floor looks uneven, it is completely plain and safe to walk on. Maybe some day soon, we might see this trend catching on and the optical illusion tiles present in different places. “It gets some funny looks. However, the effect is greatly enhanced through a camera,” Casa Ceramica sales administrator Harry Molyneaux told TODAY. “The floor is completely flat and safe to walk over.”
