Bristol signs up Lacock Gullam

Bristol City Council has appointed Lacock Gullam to handle the next phase in its Legible City signage scheme, awarding the contract after a four-way pitch. The consultancy will work with Applied Information Group, which will handle the graphic design aspects of the project.

Lacock Gullam will oversee the design and development of a way-finding system at the city’s transport ‘welcome points’, namely the airport, train station and bus station. It will work closely with the council’s Visual Technology team.

Consultancy principal Sam Gullam previously worked with the council as part of the team that created the city centre pedestrian signage system. AIG creative director Tim Fendley also contributed while at MetaDesign London.

The welcome points system will develop the integrated audible signs which Lacock Gullam originally designed for the pedestrian sign project.

‘The aim is to give arrivals at Bristol a quick, clear overview of what the city has to offer and the best way to get around. Crucially, it will introduce people to the city centre pedestrian wayfinding system at the stations,’ says Gullam.

The £45 000 project runs for 18 months and will receive funding under a European Union scheme that addresses how the features of a city are communicated. Gullam says the scheme is ‘fairly organic’ and extra phases will be developed by the council gradually, partly dependent on funding.

‘[Legible city design] is growing as an area and discipline; we have learned a lot over the past few years,’ adds Gullam.