For most letter box / mail box in Hong Kong, there is such a warning message printed on it:

“Placing in any burning item is strictly prohibited and liable to prosecution.”

Everybody with common sense would know that putting some burning item in a letter box could burn things inside it, and it’s illegal to vandalize public properties. Yet it is not hard to find more examples of showing such obvious and specific warning messages in almost anything.

It is possible that the post office added this warning after losing a court case where someone has burned down a letter box. Maybe they are doing it to plug the legal hole so that nobody can do it again without facing the legal consequences. But anybody who is determined to destroy the letter box can think of 100 ways to reach the goal. What about pumping water into the box? What about hitting it with a truck?

Instead of putting a warning sign as a response after the fact, can there be a more proactive way to deal with the issue? Can the letter box be redesigned to prevent fire and other hazards, yet remind usable? Can we use a more positive, engaging and aesthetic design, rather than only a “you will be prosecuted” text message that most people would just ignore?

There is a design opportunity.