Signs of the Times

The NYT has a great article on typography for American roadways. Basically, signs are hard to read because, well:

The letter shapes of Highway Gothic weren't ever tested, having never really been designed in the first place. "I's very American in that way — just smash it together and get it up there," says Tobias Frere-Jones, a typographer in New York City who came to the attention of the design world in the mid-1990s with his Interstate typeface inspired by the bemusing, awkward charm of Highway Gothic. "It's brash and blunt, not so concerned with detail. It has a certain unvarnished honesty."

So, a new design team (profiled in the piece) has put together a new typeface-and-guidelines package. The photos of signs side-by-side are startling — how big a difference a font can make!

It's also strange to think that all the road signs might change while I'm away...

Permalink • Posted in: design, links • Post a comment