Deco Font

I thought I'd have a go at designing a Deco font. There are hundreds to be found all over the internet so I had to make a real effort to do something distinctive. hopefully the consistency of the 'rules' that I've applied to the letter design make this tall and slender alphabet that wee bit different:

Glasgow Transport Map (sneak peek)

This map of an integrated Greater Glasgow transport system is a project I've been working on for what seems like an age. It's still far from finished (lacking labels and a key etc.) but it is now - finally - all plotted out and I think I've been fairly successful in finding the right balance between 'real world' geography and the intuitive usability of diagrammatic mapping. It involves all of the conurbation's current surface rail and subway lines, in addition to a large number of projects (mostly the reinstatement of former routes) that have been mooted in the past few years; the world's third-oldest subway system finally gets an extension!

In addition to my absolute obsession with transit mapping and the work of Beck, Vignelli et al, this diagram is the product of my frustration at the lack of a contemporary map for Glasgow's commuter rail network, which is, even without the additions found here, a fairly substantial system. Ideally, I'd love the city to be served by a fully integrated S-Bahn style system centred on the 'Glasgow Crossrail' plan and a revived Glasgow Cross station (the southernmost interchange on the cut-out below).

I will hopefully bring you the finished product fairly soon. Until then, you'll have to make do with this bus replacement service!

Wedding Invite - Back Cover

Forming the back cover to the wedding invite (see below) I drew this wee thing. All very simple but I think it's quite effective - the couple's initials above the sharp contours of the Cuillin of Skye (where the groom proposed to the bride!)

Invite Maps

I was recently commissioned to design some invitations for a wedding with a mountains/maps theme. The completed booklets are a few pages long and these venue-finders form the centrepiece - both physically and stylistically.

The idea was to combine a useful and sufficiently-detailed map for the wedding guests (most of whom were travelling to the venue from outside Scotland) while maintaining a playful visual style; there's more than a little early 90s 8-bit video gaming in them thar hills!

The overview and local maps as they appear together in the invite:

Failte gu Alba:

From the 'Fair City' to the venue:

Central Belt detail:

Ferry from Belfast; kinda looks like Northern Ireland is coughing the boat to Scotland: