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A courier will drive past thousands of different road signs on UK highways and not give the design of these a second thought (much like most motorists). The history of British road signs is actually an interesting one; you will never look at them the same way once you know the story behind them. Time for Change A key date in the history of our road signs is 1958, when the government hired two designers, Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert (a previous student of Kinneir), to devise a new signage system. Prior to this, a jumble of roadside posts that used different fonts, colours and type sizes were used and were more confusing than helpful for road users. Navigating roads as a courier back in the day would have been even more stressful! The designers were tasked with creating an ‘intuitively invisible’ system, meaning that they work on a subconscious level: you use them without even realising. They certainly achieved this, as nearly every motorist takes little notice of these signs but still takes their message onboard. The system that they devised has been so successful that it is still used today and has inspired dozens of other projects around the world. Capitals or Lowercase? Kinneir, who had previously won a signage gig for Gatwick airport, knew that the job was not about style, but instead about displaying information that would be absorbed immediately. This meant using a white reflective coating and black font (a departure from his black on yellow at Gatwick), as well as developing their own typeface. The result was a font using both upper and lowercase that is now immediately recognisable and aptly called “Transport”. It has also been called “the handwriting of Britain”. Not everybody was impressed with this design; rival designer David Kindersley believed that the typeface was too large and developed his own which used only capital letters and took up less space. However, the government went with Kinneir’s work as they felt that the visual shape of mixed case lettering was more recognisable and could be swiftly absorbed. It also fit with their plan for a more European aesthetic. The signs were first used on a 72-mile section of the M1, but they were then charged by Worboys (a committee formed by the government) to apply their signage system to the entire road network. Graphic Pictograms In addition to direction and junction signs, they were also then tasked with creating new instruction and warning signs. These were previously spelt out, but the dynamic duo came up with an excellent system of stark pictograms with clear images and a bold red edging. They added some personality to these designs, such as the impossible cross-over tyre-marks of a skidding car and the imminent school sign, which is based on a photo of Calvert pulling along her younger brother. Enduring Success Adaptations have had to be made to a few of these excellent designs as driving has become more complicated, but ultimately the same designs and colour schemes are used today. This is a testament to Kinneir and Calvert’s talent as designers. Their legacy continues as their signs are used, but often not consciously noticed, each and every day by millions of motorists. Not just this, but it is difficult to comprehend just how many lives have been saved by their signs. As a courier, road signs are often little more than wallpaper and you do not give them second thought. However, they have been so brilliantly designed that you have taken on their message without even noticing it. So, next time you are behind the wheel, take a closer look and you will soon see why these designs have stood the test of time. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier work in the express freight exchange industry. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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