British Road Signs
British Road Signs
We see them every day but how much do you know about the design of these important signs?
What's the story?
Mile-a-minute typography
This was the title of the series of photos graphic designer Herbert Spencer published in his magazine Typographica in 1961. Spencer drove from central London to Heathrow airport and took pictures of every road sign he saw along the way. The photos showed how confusing signs were at the time - each one used different typefaces, symbols and colours. The number of cars on the road was increasing and it was obvious that Britain needed an understandable and easy to read system of road signs.
“What do I want to know, trying to read a sign at speed?” Jock Kinneir
The government gave this huge project to the graphic designer Jock Kinneir and his assistant Margaret Calvert who had just finished creating the signs for the UK motorway system. By carefully coordinating lettering, colours, shapes and symbols, the pair created a system that has inspired modern road signs around the world. Pictures instead of words were used on many signs and the girl in the Children Crossing sign is based on an image of Margaret Calvert as a child.
What can I do?
The STOP sign is an octagon and the GIVE WAY sign is an upside down triangle.
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