From War to Worboys

A demonstration of the advantages of increasing the height of letters - information presented much more clearly while using no additional sign width.

An unusual idea is tested here - highlighting the first four letters of place names. Obviously most place names have a common ending, so the first letters are the most recognisable, and this idea capitalises on that to save space. It is unclear how helpful this is in practice.

Using a sign of exactly the same dimensions, this example shows how stacking destinations is more efficient on space; in the bottom example the road numbers are split across two lines to maximise space usage even more.

The same sign area but a different shape shows how much more use could be made of the available space even where destinations are already stacked.

A prime example of the apalling use the old-style signs made of space. The top example is mostly empty space, and the stacked examples below achieve two to three times the letter height on destinations with no extra sign space.

An attempt to stack destinations on roundabout signs results in some interesting arrow designs. The bottom sign is "Continental" in style, and is closest to what was eventually adopted.

Another example of the poor use of space. Simply by breaking out of boxes, the text can be made much clearer without losing the sense of the diagram.