Essay Plan (24.02.13)

Typography Essay Plan

Potential Essay Title: Discuss the meanings and implications of the typographical elements of the street signs and maps of London, and the extent to which they contributed to transforming it into the thriving city it is today.
The aim of this essay is to explore the signs found in and maps created of London through the 19th and 20th Centuries.  I will focus my discussion on the typographical elements of the maps such as layout, colour and font, including their meanings, popularity and success. However the main purpose of this project is to discuss and draw conclusions to what extent did these maps and signs of London help develop the city into what the thriving metropolis it is today.
Discussion Points
- The meanings and reasons behind the layout, colour code and style of Phyllis Pearsons A-Z map of London.
- The public response to Pearsons map, and its success rate.
- The different ways in which Pearsons map transformed living in London, which sectors benefited from it, i.e. tourism, businesses. Furthermore conclude if Pearsons map made a significant difference to these sectors, to what extent.
-Overview the tube maps of London before Harry Becks first design in 1931, discuss how they were different.
- Discuss the layout, colour, font and style of Becks first tube map, reasonings behind his initial design.
- The changes made to Becks initial design and the reasoning behind them, including the change of the station symbol shape and line colours. Furthermore discussing why Harold Hutchisons design failed in the eyes of the public.
- Opinions of Becks Underground map design, and discussion into the extent his designs helped transformed London as a city. i.e. enable citizens to travel around the city with more ease, improve tourism.
- Discuss the meanings of the colour coding and style of Charles Booths map of poverty stricken and wealthy areas of London.
-The responses he received regarding the map and the if it motivated the city to tackle such issues.
- Overview of the changes the creation of the map created and draw conclusion on how it helped develop London.
- Discuss the importance of John Snows cholera map, the aftermath of its publication and how it helped transform London, i.e creation of the first sewage system, helped save lives, advance medical history.
-Discuss the reasoning behind the font, layout and colour of the iconic London street signs created by Misha Black in the 1960s.
-To what extent have these signs improved the streets of London?
-Explore the way in which tourist souvenirs have adopted some of these typographical subjects discussed.
- Discuss how iconic the tube map and street signs have become to London as a city and what this addresses about their importance its transformation.
I also wish to touch upon the iconic London street signs, explore meanings behind their layout, colour and font, and also discuss their influence on the city.

Provisional Bibliography
Contemporary British art in print : the publications of Charles Booth-Clibborn and his imprint, the Paragon Press 1986-95.
Garland, K. Mr. Beck's Underground map : [a history]
Gibson, D. The wayfinding handbook : information design for public places
Hempel, S. The medical detective : John Snow and the mystery of cholera.
Pfautz, H.W. Charles Booth on the city : physical pattern and social structure
Piet, H.L. Route archoice : wayfinding in transport networks