The logos for the every man!!

My last post was about business logos. One quick and easy image that can identify an entire business.

now how about logos for everyday life, like transportation.

Major international events, or large areas of human traffic, commissioned graphic designers to create pictographic signage in order to convey directions, purpose, and locations quickly and simply.

due to high costs and efforts it was hard for every single international and domestic facility to make their own symbols, so in 1974, the US department of Transportation, commissioned the American Institute of Graphic Arts, to create a master set of 34 passenger and pedestrian oriented symbols to be used nationwide in transportation facilities.

there were steps.

first compile the symbols already developed for transportation signage from the various nationwide facilities.

for example the air transportation symbols below.

the next step was a committe of 5 graphic designers headed by Thomas H Geisman evaluated each of the designs

step 3 the Dept. of Transportation provided AIGA with the 34 subject areas in which to make symbols for, and one solid design for each area was made.

finally the master set of 34 was redrawn by Roger Cook and Dan Shanosky in order to have all the symbols have an overall harmony of line, shape, and weight. This set was utilized nationwide, and eventually world wide, with some variation. 

here is the master set

These symbols have moved on from transportation areas to everyday areas, like streets and other publics buildings, and with its move slight variation but only slight.

look at these pedestrian crossing signs from around the world

the biggest thing here was that these signs helped bridge the language and cultural gaps between humans by providing easy and universal symbolized instruction that can be understood the world over

sooner or later each human will have a symbol of their own!