The Art of Road Signs

This post and the pictures for it have been contributed by artist Remy Francis.

Road signs are as much a designed element in city-backdrops that one just cannot afford to ignore. ‬‬‬

People who design these too maybe considered as a privileged few who hold specialized types of disciplines as you would soon realize by the end of this article.

As a passionate creative who indulges herself in artistic experiences at every level, it is my pleasure to share these facts and design aspects so relevant to us as a people or citizen of a city.

Road signs have been silent messengers to drivers and commuters for tens of hundreds of years with their shapes, colors, words and symbols. These are such useful elements in our city/township backdrops to bring order and to help predict a certain flow of traffic. Yet, have we given more of a thought than a single glance at a time?

Color and shape passes on instant messages to us even though words or symbols are overlooked within a sign. Today’s traffic signs that use retro-reflective sheets are designed to reflect light from vehicle headlights back to the driver so that it is visible even in the darkness of the night.

It can thus be inferred an important task for a designer to utilize appropriate shapes, material properties and contrast to make the sign bright yet not distracting…. by considering important properties in the environment backdrop such as greenery and the blue sky. Besides, making the sign as geometric as possible in contract to the organic setting to let them stand apart is an art in itself.

A very significant artistry indeed… as it is a vital utilitarian element for any cityscape.

Leaving you with this thought until the next time when I address another trivia in our daily lives that may be playing a larger role in our lives than we may ever imagine, artistically speaking.

Click here to view the work of Remy Francis.