TfL sets up roster for £20m budget

Transport for London has agreed its rosters for the next three years, Design Week can exclusively reveal, covering a £20m design budget and projects ranging from signage and print to vehicle and ticket machine design.

Thirty-five groups have been selected across three ‘frameworks’ – graphics and corporate identity, product design, and architecture and interiors. Within these areas further ‘sub-sets’ focus on specific disciplines and some groups straddle several categories.

According to TfL head of design Innes Ferguson, the frameworks have been arranged in this way because EU procurement law now stipulates that every project be tendered to all the groups in a particular category. The lists do not operate as ‘rosters’, as this often implies a sense of ‘so-and-so’s turn’, he says. But they are ‘exclusive’ and will not be reviewed until 2006, Ferguson adds.

Nine consultancies make up the graphics and corporate identity framework: Fitch London, Glazer, Identica, Start, Bi-Design, SAS, Lara Best, Uffindell West, Real 451, plus Agfa Monotype on specialist font development.

The product design framework also comprises nine groups: Tangerine, Era Studio, Fitch London, Priestman Goode, Rodd Industrial Design, JEDCo, Trueform, Design Triangle and Cre-active. Meanwhile, Four IV, 20/20, Fitch London, Era Studio and Circle are among the 17 groups on the architecture and interiors list.

The frameworks were finalised to coincide with the new financial year at the start of this month, following a heavily subscribed, 18-month selection process.

Ferguson will appoint a graphics group imminently to create a ‘public face’ brand for the licensed mini-cab industry, while Fitch London’s work – began as BamberForsyth Fitch – on a unifying name and brand for overland rail in south London has been completed. Both identities should be unveiled in September.

TfL is responsible for all major design issues concerning public transport in the capital.