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This website is typeset in Name Sans by Arrow Type.

Name Sans is a modern interpretation of the mosaic name tablets of New York City subway stations.

I am thrilled by the details of this typeface, having been similarly enamored with the tile-mosaics in older subway stations most commonly in Manhattan. My favorite geometric typeface, Futura, is gorgeous, but lacks versatility, and is rarely used by any transit system for wayfinding with the notable exception of the stunningly beautiful Toronto Subway. NYC's Akzidenz-Grotesk and more modern Helvetica typefaces are near-universal, but no longer identify solely with wayfinding, having so thoroughly diffused themselves into the visual language of our world. Other typefaces common amongst transit systems such as Univers and Frutiger lack character, selected for their simple, generic properties. The interesting blend of geometric and grotesque shapes in Name Sans keeps the type fresh and clear at once. You can read more about the development of this typeface on Arrow Type's website. ↗

You might also enjoy the reprinted 1970 New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual ↗ originally designed by Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda of Unimark International, and The Map (2020) ↗, a short-film by Gary Hustwit about the MTA's contemporary redesign of the subway map.

Layout is provided by the Raster Simple Grid System. ↗

If this is of interest to you, I recommend reading Grid Systems in Graphic Design by swiss-designer Josef Müller-Brockmann, first published in 1981.

Photo of passengers waiting in 14th Street/Sixth Avenue subway station, with tile mosaic station name visible to their left.