8 Comments

HA! I've been caught out by this very car park. Thought I bought 5 hours, turns out I didn't and was fined.

So I wrote them a letter complaining that about this sign and they rescinded the charges.
Pete NewCurator
2009-03-27 17:19:31

off our own bats?
action man
2009-03-27 17:44:28

Off our own bats indeed. We're based in the countryside near Oxford in a converted barn. There are lots of bats and, although they're not technically "our" bats we like to think of them that way. We like our bats.
Mark McArthur-Christie
2009-03-27 22:50:34

Good job! Well done for actually changing something rather than moaning about it like a lot of other designers!

Michael
http://www.studio-bodhi.com
Michael Murdoch
2009-04-01 10:52:26

Being a designer in Oxford I was actually pretty impressed with what these guys had done - looks like CR did too.

Comment removed by moderator
Jack Shit 2
2009-04-01 19:01:58

Before this turns into a total bun-fight I'll get my two cents worth in.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that http://designforclarity.com/ is a completely new concept. For example http://www.simplificationcentre.org.uk/ and a number of small agencies and individuals (including me – I've nothing to hide) dedicated to this kind of work.

Oddly enough there's a full two-day conference dedicated to this kind of work starting today in Greenwich.

Perhaps the major difference between http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/ and http://designforclarity.com/ is more of a focus on the combination of language AND design.

Let's also not be naive, both these examples are businesses: lucky for all of us, businesses with very noble intentions.
Robert Hempsall
2009-04-02 08:36:50

Well done, Robert - there really is no need to get so heated under the collar!!
Obviously there exists and persists a design issue with signage in our cities, why else would so many seasoned designers feel the urge to do something about it? We should focus on overcoming that issue rather than argue over who came up with solutions first. Well done Freeman Christie for bringing the problem to public discussion - I believe with some effect with the City Council as well. It was a very local problem which was resolved (hopefully) with local expertise and understanding for the local context.

And I also agree with Robert that this has less to do with the Plain English campaign but more with good visual solutions for a very diverse audience.

Yes, you may have guessed it, I am a local girl who only made sense out of the previous forest of signs on the Worcester Street car park with the help of the very clued up resident tramp...for a tip of course!

[comment deleted by moderator] Freeman Christie have done a great job. Just look at the PR...obviously they actually DO know what they are doing.
Babs
2009-04-02 09:50:17

Hi Babs – thanks for the moral support.

In a 'not-disagreeing-with-you' kind of way, unfortunately it's not a 'local problem' – it's everywhere. At the risk of getting told off for grabbing the towbar of a passing bandwagon, it's something I've spotted before – http://www.roberthempsall.co.uk/blog/?p=50

You are spot on about local knowledge as a great help in solving these sorts of problems for a local audience – maybe your resident tramp was just saving up for his iMac and InDesign and was beaten to it ;o)
Robert Hempsall
2009-04-02 10:18:34

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