Welcome to the Sign Design Society
The Sign Design Society (SDS) is for anyone interested in information and graphic communication within buildings and public spaces, including:
- Wayfinding
- Interpretative graphics
- Brand and experiential/environmental graphics
- Statutory and health & safety signs
As well as raising the profile of our disciplines, we offer members a programme of events, resources and initiatives to help them:
- Keep up to date and improve their practice
- Find potential consultants, collaborators & employees
- Promote their work and capabilities
To join choose a membership plan that suits you and sign up!
Our events
In “The Great British Railways Signing Challenge” transport writer Daniel Wright looks at 60 years of British railway station signage. The talk starts with British Railways’ 1965 unified signage scheme and how it got lost, moves through the anarchy of privatisation-era signage, before looking at how Network Rail is trying to put railway signage back together again. It’s a tour that is by turns elegant, chaotic, monochrome, multi-coloured and sometimes just plain frustrating. Daniel also explains why, despite Great British Railways’ aspirations and Network Rail’s recent endeavours, the chance for a new national railway signage scheme might already have slipped through the rail industry’s fingers.
Interested in a membership?
News
2nd edition Sign design guide now available to buy!
The new edition of the guide continues to provide practical guidance to experts and non-specialists alike, based on both best practice in inclusive design and the latest research.
Third party events
This lecture shares the remarkable story of an overlooked map archive that reveals how maps have helped inspire some of the greatest scientific discoveries, but also led to terrible atrocities. At the heart of University College London, nestled in the centre of Bloomsbury, lies a long-forgotten map library packed with thousands of maps and atlases. After Professor James Cheshire stumbled upon it, he spent three years sifting through hundreds of dusty drawers to see what was there. He was stunned to uncover some of the most significant maps and atlases from the last two centuries – many of which had not seen the light of day for decades.
We are busy planning an exciting programme including a site visit to Amgueddfa Cymru, St Fagans National Museum of History. We will also be announcing the winners of the 2025 Engaging People Awards. As well as our programme of inspirational speakers and a site visit, there will be time for networking and sharing our experiences. As always, it will be a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues old and new.
To mark its 60th anniversary, UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (IEDE) is convening leading voices from academia, policy and industry to explore how action on climate can also deliver health benefits, across homes, schools and cities. This event will present cutting-edge research, real-world case studies and cross-sector partnerships that demonstrate how addressing challenges such as overheating, air quality and energy performance can create healthier, low-carbon environments.
Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars, by Henrietta Moore and Arthur Kay, discusses the philosophical implications of car culture, as well as the practical impacts it has on your money, your taxes, your neighborhood, your planet, your health, and your happiness.
Join St Bride Foundation and Kelli Anderson to celebrate the publication of Alphabet in Motion. An ingenuous feat of paper engineering that features an interactive cover, seventeen pop-ups plus multiple manual experiments in light and shape, Alphabet in Motion is an immersive volume that explains and demonstrates the technologies and philosophies that have shaped letterforms through the ages.