The Sign Design Awards 2009 - Announcement of Winners

The Sign Design Society has announced the winners of its 2009 international Awards competition to recognise the best in signing and wayfinding design over the last three years. Four award categories generated entries from individuals and organisations in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Portugal and the USA as well as the UK. The projects themselves were equally geographically diverse adding France, Muscat, Switzerland and the UAE to the list.

The entries were judged, without knowledge of the authors, by a distinguished panel all with a keen concern for and interest in the competition:

• David Bartlett, Head of Design for the 2012 Olympics Village
• Gary Davis, founder of the human factors consultancy Davis Associates
• Barry Gray, former Signs and Design Manager, Network Rail
• Jerry Hill, Signs Design Manager for Transport for London
• Bruce Lyle, former MD of Merson Signs
• David Mercer, Head of Design, BT
• Mike Wolff, Chairman of the Society, former head of wayfinding at BAA Airports.

 

The prizes were presented at a prestigious ceremony at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London on October 22nd, attended by members of the Society, its financial supporters and press representatives. The ceremony was sponsored by No-Nonsense Design and the trophies for the winners were designed and manufactured in vitreous enamel by A J Wells and Sons.

Celebrating the extraordinary range and distinction of the many entries received, the Chairman, Mike Wolff, noted that signs and wayfinding clues were used by everyone, everywhere, at all times and in all cultures and social hierarchies and that those involved in the design of sound solutions were directly enhancing people's lives and making our public environments much better places in which to work, to visit or to simply enjoy.

However, this significance still had to achieve full appreciation by the public at large and indeed by some fellow designers and the Chairman encouraged UK academia to acknowledge the subject as both a science and art, well deserving recognition as a discrete design discipline.

The chairman thanked the winners, those commended and all who took the trouble to enter the competition. He also paid tribute to those who had worked very hard over many months, highlighting the Society's Awards committee, most especially Keith Perry, of No-Nonsense Design, responsible for the design of all the Awards publicity and the Society's Administrator, Michelle Henderson-Vieira, who had worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the competition.