We often think of route signs as immutable design . How else would a point sign look ? But someone had to come up with those iconic shapes . The UK is celebrating its 50th anniversary with its current system of route signage , make by Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir . The pair create new typefaces and standardize all the graphics for roadways across Britain in 1965 .
In purity of the occasion , theBritish route Sign Projectasked noteworthy artists and designers to retread the rophy , triangles , and squares of UK traffic signage . These designs , according to the task web site , move away from “ instructing people of speed limits and commission to poetically interrupt our everyday with design that take us bar , look and think about design and our environment in a slightly dissimilar fashion ; less instructions and more interruption for opinion . ” The mark above , for instance , exhort people to put down their equipment and look around .
These signs , on display at the Design Museum in London until October 25 , are more playful than useful . They would sure enough make an accident or two if automobilist actually had to decrypt them on the rainfly . But they provide a fun way to rethink ubiquitous , familiar object from the urban landscape painting . We see street signs so often that they ’re intemperate to notice , but these designs are insufferable to disregard .
paradigm Credit : Ben Kelly
Ken Kesey ’s psychedelic road trip in the summer of 1964 claim place in a double-decker call “ Further . ”
effigy Credit : Henrik Kubel
Which way should you go ?
Image Credit : Amelia Noble
Amelia Noble turn received admonition graphics into something more lyrical .
look-alike Credit : Graphic Thought Facility
Street sign or bird instance ?
picture Credit : Mark Bonner / GBH
It ’s my style or …
Image credit entry : Spin
Warning : luchador masks onward .
See more aesthetic yield on the route signhere .
