Signs and portents

What’s it all about?

After putting much effort into the research of my roads signs information design project, and creating design prototypes for testing, I find it interesting that many people have commented on liking the simple illustration above.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with anyone saying ‘that’s nice’.

But, it doesn’t actually reveal much about the project. Rather, it shows some randomly selected variants of the outlines of type (designed for preventing infill at night and maximising the impact of word within the footprint of the sign), but the important thing here is that people like the look and feel of it. Buried in the detail of my research and pressured for tangible results, I probably neglected a fundamental of communication design.

It’s an unquantifiable fundamental… namely, feel (or form) is as important as content (or function).

It reminds me of another lesson. ie. why did I neglect this - when it’s what I do for others every day?

• Well, time of course (this is self-initiated research, after all).
• But, more importantly, perspective or objectivity. Stepping back is much easier to do for a third party project. Perhaps this is one reason why few in-house teams produce great design outcomes?

What is it all about?

I the words of the late David Goulbourne, a colleague, friend and great designer, “It’s words and pictures, Mate!” If you get the right words and the right pictures, and get them in the right order, you’re really on a winner. But that’s a hell of a lot easier than it sounds, and in the process, some perspective helps a lot.