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Kickstarter To Bring Back 1970s Transit Authority Design Bible
By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 10, 2014
Modified Sep 10, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 10, 2014
Modified Sep 10, 2014
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Last year the old New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual—designed by Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda—was put online. The manual lays out the official typefaces, colors, and signage design for the city's subway system, and its 182 pages are lovely to look at. Now, someone wants to reproduce these things, and there's a Kickstarter to do just that—but is there enough interest to hit their $108,000 goal? Sure seems like it!
The people behind the project (who also put it all online last year) provide some details on the importance of this manual, which helped create a less chaotic subway system:
"In 1970, the Standards Manual changed everything. In 1967 the New York City Transit Authority hired Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda of the design firm Unimark International to design a signage and wayfinding system that would solve the problem underground. The work they delivered, the 1970 New York City Transit Authority Graphic Standards Manual, succeeded in that goal and, perhaps unintentionally, the Standards Manual became one of the world’s classic examples of modern design."
At press time they've still got 30 days to go, and are a little over half way to meeting their goal. Fontphiles get psyched.
Tagged
fonts
kickstarter
Standards Manual
transit authority
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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