Two buildings in Shrewsbury. Both historic. Both full of character.
One has two black bins, quietly doing their job and almost disappearing into the scene.
The other has a row of bright red bins that completely dominate the view – pulling your eye away from a genuinely beautiful Tudor façade that’s survived for centuries.
Nothing here is wrong.. rubbish needs collecting. And the black and red bins may well serve different purposes, carry different things, or be subject to different rules. This may simply be how it has to be.
And yet visually, the impact is enormous.
Most places, brands and organisations often aren’t undermined by big decisions.
They’re impacted – for better or worse – by practical, operational details that feel unavoidable, but still carry emotional weight.
There isn’t always an easy fix.
But noticing the difference feels like a good place to start.
Andrew Greenhalgh 