Prototype in situ

This is a very rough first draft showing the sign in its intended environment. I feel the dark slate compliments the natural greens and browns well, and stands out from the sky, while the white text and images are legible. Even in the dark when the slate blends into the night sky, the white would still be slightly visible against it, especially if there is a form of backlight in the construction. If not, it wouldn't matter so much as people would probably not choose to walk the route at night.

Prototype Changes

While waiting for the clients to look over my work, I began to experiment with my design, changing the material of the signs from a brushed steel effect to a slate grey. I did this for several reasons, one just being to give the clients the opportunity to choose the direction I should take in terms of my work, but also for visibility issues. On a sunny day the metal would give off quite a glare, which could prove dangerous when used on the road, while the slate would not be such a hazard.

This is a comparison which I showed the clients, and the white-on-slate design was far more popular as it provides greater clarity as well as less chance of causing an accident. This was the reaction I was hoping for as I was able to proceed with the redesign in that slate style.

It also gave me different ideas in terms of illuminating the sign. Before, I was to have spotlights on the floor in front of the sign providing a soft light but with the change in colour scheme I thought about incorporating the lighting into the structure. One product that uses a similar lighting style is the Apple Macbook, the Apple logo lighting up when the laptop is on, a technique that could be transferred to my signage designs.

 This is the outcome of the redesign of all of the signage elements, and I believe the white on dark grey provides greater clarity and visibility from distance. All of the signs use a tall freestanding structure similar to the Legible London examples (except the interpretation boards) so that they are easily recognisable as part of a set, and the branding adds to this too.


The typography of the signs is also uniform, using Helvetica Light which is kerned to make the text tighter, with different sizes to show the hierarchy of information. Lower case is used to remain in keeping with the logo design, and it provides an equal text layout.


All the icons used on the signs are as simple as possible, with the arrows just being triangles pointing in the certain directions and a basic walking man icon. This is to avoid the confusions that could arise from more pictorial elements.


The traffic signs are slightly different from the pedestrian signs and fingerposts, as I felt it was important for them to be visible from a greater distance and portray the necessary information in a shorter amount of time. It also has to introduce people to the Route to the Hills project and guide people into Malvern so I felt it was important that the brand identity was very strong which is why I chose to use the icon from the logo as the main part of the sign.

Client Presentation

Contemporary Signage

My style of design has always followed the idea that the most simple solution is often the best. Once I received the brief and attended the client meeting it was apparent that they were open to any ideas, and there was a lot of freedom to experiment.

Therefore I decided to look at examples of simple, modern and effective signage designs to inspire my initial thoughts.

Legible London

Legible London

 The Legible London project is an example of a modern wayfinding alternative that has proven to be very effectual, simplifying peoples' journeys through London and providing a uniform signage system.

I like the freestanding structures as they are large enough to display plenty of information and collate it all in one place. Their use of branding and colour makes their signs instantly recognisable, the simple silhouetted man on a yellow background easy to spot. The information is arranged in a clean and uncluttered fashion, using readable modern type with directional arrows and London Underground icons, and maps are also used if a more detailed route plan is required.

Hospital sign

This is another example of a contemporary signage installation, using legible type on a modern construction but I do not think it is as effective as the Legible London solution. The signs look tacky due to the base used and the materials appear cheap, although the information is very clear and eye-catching because of the clarity of white on red.

Museum sign

This is another example of a signage system using white on red, which seems a very effective colour scheme and stands out against the pale background of the wall. The typography seems too narrow for the design, and would not be visible from a distance which is a big drawback for a wayfinding system, and they could make better use of the space available in that respect.

Glass/perspex

 This sign is interesting because of its materials, combining the simple and modern approaches of the other examples with a glass or perspex base. This would be an interesting idea for a signage system like the Route to the Hills project as it wouldn't disrupt the view of the countryside too much.

In terms of the brief, I feel that bright colours would not be suitable for the location. Being a historic and rural town I don't think artificial shades such as neon pink would suit the area, and growing up in the countryside myself I have an insight into what materials complement the landscape the most. To this end, I will concentrate on modern metal or glass styles or more traditional materials such as wrought iron, wood or stone.

I like the size and shape of the Legible London signs, as they are able to give a lot of information without seeming cluttered, as well as the simplicity of the text and icons used and will take these elements forward as I look to my own designs.

Bibliography
Slate (no date). Legible London: Can better signs help people understand an extremely disorienting city? [Online]. Available from: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/signs/2010/03/legible_london.html [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Fitzrovia News (no date). Legible London is heading in the wrong direction, again. [Online]. Available from: http://news.fitzrovia.org.uk/2011/03/09/legible-london-is-heading-in-the-wrong-direction/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Arrows and Icons Magazine (no date). Environmental Graphic Design in the City of Trees [Online]. Available from: http://www.arrowsandicons.com/articles/environmental-graphic-design-in-the-city-of-trees/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Obsessively Observed (no date). Cartlidge Levene for Bristol Museum [Online]. Available from: http://www.obsessivelyobserved.com/2011/03/cartlidge-levene-for-bristol-museum/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]
Sign Update (no date). Wayfinding - Jan 2010 [Online]. Available from: http://www.signupdate.co.uk/Wayfinding-Jan-2010/ [Accessed 4th April 2012]