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The Grand Prix Award

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The Grand Prix, sponsored by Merson Sign Design, was awarded to the entry which the judges considered the best of all those received in any category.

The judges ultimately had little difficulty in recognising the wayfinding system for the O2 Arena (formerly the Millennium Dome) with the top accolade. The brief covering every aspect of signing stressed the need for the solution to be seen as though it had always been part of this very special structure. The result is coherent and elegant, superbly blending innovative graphics, lighting, product and brand integration. Again this project emphasises the way in which wayfinding and commercial signing can be brought together highly effectively. A truly worthy scheme which will enhance the experience for people using this most iconic of spaces.

Roddy Angus, Managing director of Merson Sign Design presented the trophy for the top accolade at the 2009 Awards to Simon Borg of Populous.

The Public Wayfinding Award

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This award, sponsored by BAA Airports, perhaps represented the Society's special focus and as in previous years the entries proved to be of great variety and quality. If there was a single theme it was probably city pedestrian signing with superb schemes for Glasgow, Sheffield, Romford and Liverpool.

Transport as ever was also to the fore with two airport schemes and three railway projects. Others included museums, hospitals, art centres, galleries, showgrounds, public buildings, industrial estates, parklands, fairs and exhibitions. An astonishing and wealthy collection of work.

The top prize was awarded to the signing scheme for the Moreton Bay Cycleway, a 150 km system running along the Australian East Coast.

The judges felt this was a splendid piece of work achieving a perfect appreciation of its context with a simple but extremely well thought through solution. The astute use of colour, materials and placement blended to produce something which was not only functionally successful but highly appealing. The project emphasised that the Awards were very much about the way in which a brief had been understood and delivered and not necessarily about a highly complex problem or design.

The prize was presented by Rachel Oliver, Wayfinding design technical leader of BAA to Mark Ross from Dot Dash, Sydney, Australia.

In addition, a Commendation was accepted by Christian Mariacher from Atelier Mariacher in Innsbruck, Austria for the wayfinding scheme for The Landhaus, the seat of the Tyrolean Parliament in Innsbruck, Austria. This neat, cost effective scheme, light in touch, beautifully achieved integration between old and new architecture.

And Mark Ross made a further appearance to accept a second commendation in the Public Wayfinding category, this time for the wayfinding system in the Australian Museum in Sydney, an interesting and innovative project, sensitively designed and implemented. Complex issues had been nicely simplified and rationalised with good use of symbols and clear but unpatronising references for children.

The Commercial Signing and Identity Award

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This new category in the Awards, sponsored by Principle Group, sought to recognise the distinctive characteristics of commercial signing, needing to be as functionally effective as for public wayfinding but reflecting more strongly a style and mood often to work competitively within an information rich environment.

Entries were equally wide ranging, from the identification of the National Border at ports of entry to the UK, through signing for a motor plant in Leipzig, to corporate identity implementation for a major motor supplier. City wayfinding also emerged again with Frankfurt and Cabot Circus in Bristol providing highly contrasted solutions. Other schemes addressed an apartment block, a stadium, banks and council offices.

The winner won quick consensus from the judges. The scheme for the new offices of the Guardian News and Media in King's Place London, was something quite special. The media industry, the newspaper's style and a brief for environmental responsibility were perfectly reflected in this enterprising solution full of vitality. Clearly a scheme prepared to take chances - courageous and fun loving, this was an exemplar of how signing need not be mundane. The Award was presented by Paul Shilling, Group Sales Director for Principle to Ian Cartlidge and Melissa Price from Cartlidge Levene.

Commendations went firstly to the scheme to develop a name and branding as well as signing for the Cardinal Café in London. The judges loved this project, seeing a clear case where the simple charm of a well conceived and implemented design was certain to have a beneficial business effect. This café was a place to be pleased to be in and to have a talking point whilst there.

And a second was awarded to the design and application of graphics to mask the ongoing regeneration of the campus at Oxford Brookes University. Development sites are frequently no more than tolerated but this project celebrated it with aplomb. The interest and invention of this solution and its connection with its subject was very well captured.

Gareth Howat from Hat Trick collected the certificates for both of these projects.

The Product innovation and Ideas Award

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Transformational innovation in sign design is rare and often associated with technological development in other areas, so entries in this category, sponsored by Lea Valley Colour, usually involve smaller scale changes. These are quite often associated with materials, power solutions and maintenance regimes which reflect an increasing respect for the environment.

Among the varied entries received this year, was a scheme for combining electronic signing with a point of sale platform, a system for retail fascia signs using acrylic rods and fibre optic bundles and an onboard electronic train signing system.

Top prize went to the signing scheme developed for Selfridges in London. The judges felt this splendid project showed how the use of materials and the creation of unique but simple systems had produced an extremely elegant solution, easily maintainable in a highly dynamic environment.

Kevin Watkiss from Lea Valley presented the trophy to Ian Cartlidge and Melissa Price from Cartlidge Levene, successful with the top prize in two categories in this year's Awards. They were joined here by Julian Brown from product designers, Studio Brown.

One commendation was awarded to the ‘Minilith'. This standard platform for the totem signs which are an integral part of the Legible London project, reflected the care and attention to detail required in this most demanding of environments. The certificate was accepted by Sam Gullam on behalf of Applied Information Group and Lacock Gullam.