January 25, 2010
Ever wonder about the origin of the ubiquitous New York City subway signs? You know, those simple, well-designed colorful signs that help you find your way through the maze.
Well, the man who designed that iconic sign system, Bob Noorda, died earlier this month and The New York Times pays tribute to him and his story in an obituary by writer Steven Heller, "Bob Noorda; Designer Took Modernism Underground" (http://bit.ly/5fbI0m).
Noorda, born in Amsterdam, lived in Milan and operated Unimark International, which was commissioned by New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority to resolve the mess that passed for subway signage in 1966.
It's a great story about the power of design to transform our world. Noorda and his design partner Massimo Vignelli settled on the Modernist Helvetica typeface as their choice for the subway sign system.
In the obit, Vignelli said “I remember when Bob came to New York and spent every day underground in the subway to record the traffic flow in order to determine the points of decision where the signs should be placed.”
"He had a very systematic mind...his work was extremely civilized," added Vignelli.
Remember Bob Noorda and his enlightened design next time you're riding the New York City subway system.
