This weekend the Clare Champion ran a piece entitled “New Design for National Road Signs Proposed”. I note with interest the response of the NRA spokesman, that they ‘will continue to uphold best practice standards’. I can understand the unnamed spokesman’s reservations in commenting beyond that. Let me state for the record, that I don’t have an issue with the National Roads Authority (NRA), it is my understanding that they are in the business of implementing standards already established and I’m sure they are very good at doing that.

Not ‘designed’ and not tested

It’s these untested design standards that were created by the Department of the Environment’s officials in the late sixties and early seventies that I take issue with – these are not following international best practise and no qualified design input was sought in their making. Worse still, the typeface imported from the UK was used directly contrary to its purpose. Unfortunately the NRA does not have a published and publicly available standard to consult and compare with international standards, we can only view and compare the resultant signs and draw conclusions.

Tags: News

With the ‘Best of’ Design exhibition due to open in Kilkenny at the end of next week, regional radio news in Limerick (my birthplace and alma mater) has picked up on the story of my research in road signs. Their prime focus here was on the road safety aspect. But they also mention the dual language findings.

Click to hear the clip as an mp3

As a Podcast, or visit the Live95FM website

Tags: News

In September Conradh na Gaeilge invited me to present with them to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

I welcomed the opportunity to highlight the issues with Ireland’s road signs, not only from the point of view of the Irish language (which suffers in the arrangement of our current signs), but also the weaknesses of the design for English-speaking users and in particular concerns for an ageing population.

I’m pleased to say the presentation was very well received and member TDs and Senators gave very favourable feedback. I hope to have the opportunity to present to some of their colleagues in the near future.

Tags: design, government

I’m delighted to hear that my work will be exhibited as part of an exhibition by the Institute of Designers in Ireland Generation at the Crafts Council Gallery in Kilkenny. 31 October 2009 – 31 January 2010.

Tags: exhibition, design

My research, findings and recommendations on the design of road signs is part of the annual exhibition at NCAD, at the Design for Industry Building, Ground Floor. 6 June – 14 June 2009, NCAD, 100 Thomas Street, Dublin.

Tags: design, exhibition

I have written a report for Conradh na Gaeilge and made recommendations for the improvement of our road sign design. In essence, the report finds the current signs wanting in terms of the Government’s Statement on Language and the regulatory framework for the Irish language.

It also takes the opportunity to discuss best practise in design, with a view to improving our signs for all road users.

I was commissioned as a result of my design research work into the design of Ireland’s Dual Language Road Signs with the National College of Art and Design, Dublin.