20 Years of Liberty

As the BNP stir up anger after appearing on the BBC's Question Time, Europe prepares to celebrate freedom as it approaches the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The hugely iconic symbol of the divided Europe seems to have been quickly forgotten as support for xenophobic parties both in the UK and across the EU grows.

Berlin will be celebrating freedom on 9th November, where young designers have been invited to design 1000 2.5m dominoes that will fall in succession. The event will be broadcast live in Germany, but I'll be sure to get some video clips or images of the domino designs.

Disney Pixar's 'Up'

Once again, Disney Pixar have excelled themselves. Incredible animation and beautiful colours coupled with an unusually creative storyline has created what has to be one of the most unique creations in the industry this year.

WalkRide Pedestrian Map

I was very impressed by the design of the maps in NewcastleGateshead, produced by Cartlidge Levene and City ID for Newcastle City Council. The first thing to note is the type, which has a very friendly appearance, but much like 'Transport', retains great integrity and clarity. The excellent use of colour allows for a very clear map, while the necessary detail is not compromised.

WalkRide Pedestrian Map has won an HSP Special Award in the Graphic Design category. The people involved were:

* Art/Creative Directors: Ian Cartlidge/Cartlidge Levene and Mike Rawlinson/City ID
* Designers / Melissa Price, Ben Tibbs, Harriet Miller, Matt Jephcote and Chriss Knox
* Illustrator Russell Bell
* Printer / Hillprint Media Limited
* Paper / ON Offset 90g/m2

Find the full size maps on the following links:

http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/media/Map_pages_CentralNewcastleGateshead.pdf
http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/media/Map_pages_TyneandWear.pdf

Urban Fabric

During a visit to Newcastle this week, I stumbled across this stunningly unique piece of urban fabric. The Tyne Bridge is often famously pictured crossing the river at great height, but I find it becomes far more interesting as it crosses into Newcastle. The elegant bridge dominates the cityscape by dramatically crossing the historic buildings and streets below in a 'New York-esque' manner.

A Brief Look at 'Transport'

Following on from the entry on Irish road signs, it seemed appropriate to look at the typeface used. Transport was developed in the UK by Margaret Calvert and John Kinneir, who are also responsible for the Calvert and Rail Alphabet typefaces used on the Tyne & Wear Metro and British Rail networks. Since its development, its usage has spread internationally, particularly among the former British Empire, but also notably on new road signs in Spain.

I like this clear, sans serif typeface because it is a refreshing break from Helvetica. While I like Helvetica, it is not the only sans serif typeface that should be admired. 'Transport' has a clean, clear and friendly appearance that still retains integrity through its consistent weighting and 45 degree terminals.

Compare this to another transport typeface to the left, Brusseline. I have mixed feelings about Brusseline. While I like its attempts at being friendly while retaining clarity, I also feel it is verging on being fussy with the slightly curved ends of the letters which in some place almost become a serif. Often when designers have attempted to create a friendly sans serif typeface, they have compromised its purpose to an extent. I therefore admire Calvert's and Kinneir's work in succesfully creating an easy to use, friendly typeface that also isn't fussy.

TfL's New Tube Map

The new tube map, released in September by Transport for London. I admire TfL for taking on the concerns of users and designers alike by stripping back the tube map to its essential elements. The awkward footnotes, blocks of information and even the Thames have been done away with, however it is important to get a balance of form and function. Previously, function took precedence in contrast to the current design where form takes precedence- but is this at the cost of usability? I believe so. The BBC reports that the Mayor, Boris Johnson, has ordered the reinstatement of the Thames on the tube map, a sensible decision by my accord. The Thames provided a useful geographical reference for the map, while the zones are of vital importance until paper tickets cease to exist completely. TfL argue that the original tube map was a masterpiece, free of zones, without the Thames and with no additional footnotes or symbols. TfL have taken a blind step backwards with this redesign by not acknowledging the needs of the user. The tube map continues to be one of the iconic masterpieces of graphic design, but while we admire Beck's original work, we should also note that improvements can still be made.