A few weeks ago a new document appeared on the TfL website, announcing the design rules that will apply to the new Elizabeth line signage.
It was due to be released earlier this year, but someone changed the name of the line, so the Crossrail design idiom had to be rewritten. This is now version 2 of the document.
What emerges is a fairly standard rule book that’s not prescriptive, but makes strong suggestions about how Elizabeth line signs and maps should be drawn.
The colour purple is the dominant one, and is officially designated as Pantone 266c.
Strong is the use of the colour purple on the line, although, at 40% of the tube roundel, it’s only just ahead of white (35%), and then there’s the classic TfL Blue for the name — at 25% of the sign.
That rough ratio will be retained across all Elizabeth line signs going forwards.
Unsurprisingly, they are using Johnston100 as the font, which is the official font for all TfL services.
Considering the fuss over the change of the name, and rumours of a TfL swear jar whenever someone at headoffice calls it Crossrail, page 8 of the document might be a bit awkward.
You can download the Elizabeth line design idiom from the TfL website here.
Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail Crossrail
There is some stunningly awful brandspeak in that document.
“a bold and assurant purple as its modal colour” is my favourite.
I’m also aghast at the suggestion that the new line could be viewed as “a brother or sister to London Underground or London Buses.” I don’t think the Queen is anybody’s brother.
She is a Duke, so I guess at point point it could be possible that a Queen is also a brother. But not this one.
She’s also the Lord of Man.
The purple circle looks good but what about a gold band with Elizabeth Line in white or silver (all royal colours) and very distinct from Underground or Bus signs.
I think the present sign looks bland and a bit boring.
I think both Crossrail and Elizabeth Line are rather boring. But thinking of something better is difficult.
But then London’s lines don’t have particularly good names.
The only unnamed lines with obvious names are Brunel for the East London Line and Goblin for the Gospel Oak to Barking Line
‘Twould enable more confidence in those behind the document to see palette rather than pallette repeated many times on almost every page!
Apparently pallette is defined as a piece of armour designed to protect the armpit….
Absolutely! Proofreading is a thing of the past it seems…
Humans make mistakes.
Is the roundel on Page 8 a “forward looking” thing- so that all future Crossrail routes would use the purple roundel, regardless of line colour (much as all Underground lines use the red+blue roundel)
Ian, the swearword jar is not a rumous, it is real! have seen it and even tweeted a photos of it! 🙂
so will we be calling it the “Lizzie Line” for short?
Any other suggestions?
The design pack has now been updated…. High placed readers Ian?
Indeed, Issue 03 now fixes Page 08.
What about Crossrail 2? A new roundel with Crossrail 2 in a different colour. Something like Gold or White with black outlines or Yellow (that used to be LU East London Line before it was adsorbed as part of the London Overground).
Nope that Circle Line that is in Yellow. Silly me.