I find the end result pretty attractive, and it's definitely distinctive - perhaps it could have wider applications than just signage: <a href="http://fonts.info/pub/pdf/wayfinding-sans-pro.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://fonts.info/pub/pdf/wayfinding-sans-pro.pdf</a>
Great post. Very interesting work.<p>My picky question is - why so thin? The 'blurred' examples show the font broadening through the 'blur', which is why thinner fonts work well here, but is there a scientific basis for this? I would assume that this is good for light text on a dark background. For the opposite, I'd assume a thicker font would do better (text would become 'thinner' as your eyes blur?). Also, if there is any damage/weathering of the sign, Id assume a thicker font would cope with this better.
The typeface 'Transport' used in the UK seems to have solved most of the problems identified in this article. The article notes how good Transport is, but says it is too wide. I wonder if just reducing the spacing on Transport a little would have been a shortcut - the results appear remarkably similar to my eye.<p>Wikipedia article on Transport: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_%28typeface%29" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_%28typeface%29</a>
I like the article, but the fat, fixed header is killing an otherwise great design. Making the header absolute (not stick to the top of the window) would leave more vertical screen space for the crisp graphics and typeface.
Great article.<p>"Once I even ended up in a holding cell at the border crossing to Norway, because the customs officers just wouldn’t accept that someone would drive all over Europe simply to take photographs of traffic signs."<p>Would love to hear more about this :)
Only have just skimmed it, but this is a great blog entry, more of an article really. Slick graphic design as well.<p>Will have to come back later to re-read.
This article is terribly difficult to follow the flow of text. I've never understood the desire of some designers for columns of text on the web. Web pages are infinitely tall. Why would you want to replicate a restriction of old media on a new one? This implementation is proof that it's not a usability win.