Bob Noorda

It may have been missed, but Bob Noorda died earlier this month. Unfamiliar to most, if not all of us, Noorda was the graphic designer of of the New York City Subway system signage. Think letters and numbers inside colored circles. Think very simple and straightforward arrows directing you to the next train. Think actually getting to the next train efficiently.



Noorda's mark on our culture seems obvious today, but prior to his work each subway station was addressed individually, and the signs, the fonts, and the general display of information was different at each location. Certainly quaint, but difficult to navigate for the average visitor.



Interestingly enough, when Noorda started working on the project, he wanted to use a type font called Standard Medium, developed in his office after the font Akzidenz-Grotesk. Primarily, Noorda (and, presumably the MTA) didn't want to pay for Helvetica. Sort of like Microsoft versus Apple...



As a side note, if you haven't seen the movie Helvetica, you need to put it on your Netflix list. Massimo Vignelli, who was a partner of Bob Noorda's, plays a large role in the film.



As a final note on Bob Noorda, I will quote him:
"Don't bore the public with mysterious designs."

-mark-