Reckon anything you do will have this much impact?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15990443

The genius is in the apparent simplicity…

There was a most excellent (no, really) documentary on Beeb4 about this some time ago. I think they designed the font themselves didn’t they? And it’s called “transport” or something like that?

(possibly guilty of not googling before posting)

I heard a radio interview with the woman involved in the project. It was as 32FF said, very excellent and interesting. All sorts of considerations had to be, errr considered.

She was on Top Gear, wasn’t impressed with May’s driving. As graphic design goes information design is pretty boring, there’s no denying that it works very successfully but it’s hardly Paul Rand.

Top Gear did an episode with James May interviewing with her. He noted that a team of two people designed all these themselves, with minimal interference from anyone. They just got on with it and did it

Can you imagine what would be involved now? The multi-million pound contracts to ‘consultants’, the focus groups, the H&S twoddle, Are they ethnically representative? endless re-workings. Could you do us 6 options and we’ll do a series of focus groups on each?

No, I don’t reckon anything I do will have that much impact.

I think they designed the font themselves didn’t they? And it’s called “transport” or something like that?

Yes – it has two flavours, Heavy (when it’s black) and Medium (when it’s white). I manufacture roadsigns so obviously use it a lot. Very functional but oh so boring and sick of looking at it now tbh! Still beats Comic Sans though.

The little girl being led across the road is her I believe.

And for the type geeks, read Simon Garfield’s excellent book ‘Just My Type’ (also this week’s Radio4 Book at Bedtime, I believe).

We’ve got the TSRGB book here at work, and it has every type of road sign in it, an absolute geek treat 🙂 Their design work was pretty inspired to still be in use today.

You go abroad and come back to the UK and everything just looks so much more rational to me. Especially compared to those wishy-washy french signs in italics…

While on the subject of geeky graphic design docs, Helvetica is a good watch.

While on the subject of geeky graphic design docs, Helvetica is a good watch.

I have the DVD. Not watched it yet.

Anyway, I’m just a groupie – not a single design bone in my body.

Deserves a place in the British Musuem, National Gallery and Tate Britain, as an example of some of the greatest graphic design ever produced. Alongside the Tube map.

Calvert and Kinnear’s work is internationally recognised and utilised. Travelling abroad, and seeing signage which follows the same graphic style, makes me proud to be British.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THYgeETrkPs[/video]

(Stands. Salutes)

Nice to see a bit of Feminism in action, too:

🙂

If I was Northern, which I’m not, I would have this on a t-shirt:

Because it’s flipping brilliant. Binners agrees with me, and he’s Northern.

I used to wear a The North hoody back in my youth.