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What happens when street signs are brought to life? There is certainly an element of surprise that always aids in the quest for attention. The message gets a natural amplifier: movement. The information flows regardless of whether you want it or not, street signage becomes a powerful medium.

Whether it is used for art, propaganda, or advertising, movement adds a certain level of interactivity to the message, bringing it to life in a context in which live itself converges (public spaces). An Adweek article (subscription required) in the November 6 issue explores the emerging medium of interactive out-of-home, laying out an extensive menu of options that range from user-generated digital billboards (i.e. Nike ID’s Times Square experiment) to video jukeboxes that can give a better use to the almost obsolete phone booth.

Street art can teach a lesson or two to those of us in the communications industry, the simplicity and ingenuity of some artists demonstrate that interactivity doesn’t necessarily mean “user interaction” in the literal sense, it doesn’t depend on the latest technology, and it can be austere and unpretentious while still driving home a clear message that engages its audience.

Most importantly, street art challenges the assessment of those experts that attribute the development of the "new" medium to technological advancements when in fact it has been around for quite some time driven by ideas and imagination.