The font used on signage for London’s transport network is set to change for the first time in 100 years.
The typography, called Johnston, is seen on all of the capital’s underground destinations.
To celebrate its centenary, the font is being modified and will appear in its new form on all Transport for London signage from next month.
The design has been created by global type company Monotype in conjunction with TfL.
Jon Hunter, TfL Head of Design said: “The Johnston typeface speaks of London like no other. It has been around 100 years. It will be around 100 more years if not longer. We just want to make sure it’s used consistently across all our branding and across all future branding platforms we may have, so we asked Monotype to go back to the original principles of Johnston, and create a digital typeface using the DNA of its truly iconic predecessor”.
He added: “As social media has become more important, hashtags and at signs are more important – Johnston never designed those because they were never needed.”
Johnston was originally designed by Edward Johnston in 1916 and is used across all trains and buses and station signage.
The new design, Johnston100, will initially be used for printed materials, such as Tube maps and posters. Over time, the typeface will be used within TfL’s trains and station signage including for London’s new Crossrail Elizabeth line – scheduled to open in 2018.
Monotype Type Director Nadine Chahine said: “The philosophy of the Johnston design is consistent and versatile enough that it could sustain all of the different fashions and use cases that have come in the last 100 years.
With the updated design, she added: “We were able to capture the contemporary trend and the fashion of having something very light and very elegant, but because we are still using the original structures, we were able to maintain the soul of the typeface.”
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