"One day on my way to work I was almost run over because I was staring at my phone like a sick person," he told The Local. "It hit me then that I'm not the only one with this behavior and that it ought to be addressed somehow."
Sempler and his creative partner Emil Tiismann set out to do just that by creating the signs and placing them in various locations around Sweden.
The photos caught the attention of many passers by who ironically shared photos of the signs via social media.
Sempler hinted at this result when he told Tech Insider that he doesn't believe the people he's trying to reach will get to see his signs in person.
"The thing is, though, that the people who really need to see this sign are most likely just gonna pass it with their eyes glued to their screens," he said.
Despite Sempler's good intentions, local traffic authorities stated that since the signs are not official traffic signals they must be taken down.
