V&A to show signs of direction

The Victoria and Albert Museum is putting into practice the plans to tackle its signage, annnounced last year by director Dr Alan Borg (DW 26 May 1995).

London consultancy Communication by Design is to unveil a new directional system for the V&A, to be installed in March.

Meanwhile, consultancy Rufus Leonard met with V&A officials last week, and will present its report on the museum’s graphic housestyle in early March.

Communication by Design was appointed two years ago to design a signage system which wouldn’t conflict with exhibitions, according to chairman Geoff Aldridge. The new signage will be phased in over 18 months.

“We’ve created two 1.2-metre-wide and 3-metre-high visitors’ guides at the museum’s main entrance to explain to visitors the colour code created by design consultancy Pentagram,” says Aldridge. He describes the signage as “a family of wall-mounted, free-standing directories”.

A V&A spokesman admits that visitor surveys have revealed that the museum is “a difficult place to find your way round”.

V&A in-house design head Brian Griggs is creating William Morris, which will be the V&A’s largest exhibition to date. And set designer Terry Brown is designing William Morris Revisited: Questioning the Legacy, to open at the Crafts Council gallery.

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