It took a decade to develop – and it ain't much to look at – but a more legible typeface for road signs has been approved by the Feds. Drivers in Texas and Pennsylvania are already getting a glimpse of Clearview, the sans serif font created by graphic designer Donald Meeker and typographer James Montalbano. The pair improved readability of the Federal Highway Administration's standard alphabet by tweaking the relative heights of letters and the lengths of ascenders and descenders. They ran tests in a computer lab and worked with transportation engineers to log recognition distances. Clearview is readable from 900 feet away, a 20 percent improvement over the old lettering. Design critics have complained that it's not beautiful. "But it isn't supposed to be," Montalbano says.
– Jessie Scanlon
Meeker & Associates Inc.
START
| Ping
| The All-in-One, Widescreen Security Cam
The New Sign Language
| Around the World in 80 Clicks
| The 18,000-rpm Race Car Factory
