Lessons from Margaret Calvert, the designer who helped shape Britain’s road signs
The London-based artist was a longtime tutor at Royal College of Art and redesigned the UK’s road signs in the 1960s.
As one half of the duo appointed to redesign the UK’s road signage in the 1950s and 1960s, graphic designer Margaret Calvert oversaw the aesthetics of travel across Britain. Calvert, now 90, was born in South Africa and moved to London in 1950 for school before studying illustration and printmaking at the Chelsea College of Arts. It was here that she was taught by graphic designer Jock Kinneir, with whom she went on to create the typefaces, pictograms and signs that remain ubiquitous across Britain’s roadsides, as well as signage for railways and airports. Calvert also spent 35 years as a tutor at the Royal College of Art, where she served as its head of graphic design until 1991.
After such a long and varied career, some might take a step back to focus on other interests. But when Monocle visits Calvert on a sunny day in her London home, her desk is scattered with freshly drawn sketches in preparation for exhibitions in Tokyo and Kyoto next year. “As a kid, I just loved drawing and I’ve never abandoned my coloured pencils,” says Calvert. Here are some lessons from talking with the design maestro.
A good teacher is one who stays flexible.
“You need to learn to listen and not come across strongly with your opinions or what you’re working on at the moment,” says Calvert. “It’s not about you – it’s about the students.”
Conversely, a good pupil is one who maintains a level of resolution.
It is about listening. You’ve got to show absolute enthusiasm for what you’re doing and not be hesitant in asking questions because they might sound stupid. It’s really just a conversation between two people about an issue that you’re questioning.
Getting out of a creative rut requires help – ideally, a conversation.
The issue is that this kind of block is usually down to a personal problem. I had a student once with this issue and he was just stuck. I always kept my door open and he came to talk to me. I questioned him, we exchanged ideas and I took him through it all very slowly. In the end, he managed to focus and ended up getting a distinction.”
There is plenty of inspiration to be found in everyday moments.
I like to walk around the streets near my home and look down into the basements. I’ll see a cat drinking or a little child playing. And at about 19.00, the light changes and some things will shine and some things will glow. It’s magic, isn’t it?
