Interstate Aesthetics-What is in a road sign?
November 10, 2009
posted by Jen
“Interstate and road signs provide travelers with an array of information, from mileage to bathroom locations. Consistent and effective signage is crucial to travelers. The design that goes into making these signs is commonly taken for granted. Had the designers of these signs been less aware of effective layout, the result would have been disastrous. Imagine a highway with dim signs containing a small, serif type- face that cannot be read until the viewer is two feet away.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s mission statement is to, ‘Save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity.’ US Interstate Highway System signs are effective because of well planned and successful design. Interstate signage contains three major design elements that make them both recognizable and readable: color, shape and type face.
…The untold amount of time that has gone into creating and perfecting the design of interstate and road signs cannot be ignored. Attention to the smallest details, from corner rounding to letter spacing, keeps drivers safe and efficiently directed. Aesthetics may have little to do with today’s sign making, but it is evident that these signs do in fact contain not only effective communication design, but are also aesthetically pleasing… ”
