Environmental grids

- I once asked a designer…to work on a draft for a signage program at a hospital.…He came back with a solution…that was experimental and energetic.…He explained the design conceptually.…It had something to do with a person in public space.…Unfortunately, as hip as it was,…nobody would ever find a stairwell or exit.…Grids and proportions are all…at the heart of environmental graphics.…In signage, we want to quickly identify a sign…and find the information.…

When I begin a signage project,…I look first at the architecture.…Is there a consistent proportion in the design?…Once I find this, I use that proportion…as the basic shape on all signs.…The next step is to define a grid…within that proportion.…I don't want type moving all around…from one sign to the next.…I want it to be in the same place every time.…Think about room identifier signs.…For example, you want to know…which conference room is the right one…at a glance.…

This grid is then enlarged and duplicated…to accommodate different types of signs.…The typography is scaled proportionately with the sign.…