Digital download product (PDF file)
 
Greater Manchester Transport Design Standards Manual
 
Condition:
Scanned from complete original loose-leaf binder manual, 91 pages
 
Introduction:
"This Design Manual is issued for the guidance of all those whose responsibility it is to project and promote the appearance of Greater Manchester Transport"
 
Contents:
1: Basic Elements
Symbol, colour, alphabet
 
2: Printing and Stationery
Principles, general rules, letterhead, compliment slip and business card layouts
 
3: Signs
Alphabet, passenger signing sequence, directional and locational, identification of premises, bus/rail interchange pole sign, SaverSales, statutory, safety and information, bus stop plates, service information
 
4: Vehicle Livery
Northern Counties, Metrobus, Leyland National, vans and trucks, small vans and pickups, training buses, bus exterior transfers, position of bus exterior transfers
 
5: Publicity
Poster deisgn and sizes, leaflet design and sizes, leaflet racks, SaverSales, SaverSeven wordmark, ClipperCard wordmark
 
6: Uniforms
Male road staff, female staff, inspectors
 
Foreword:
 
The specifications which were shown in the Manual had all been used before.

Staff involved with anything that would be seen such as print, signs and vehicle liveries would already be aware of the design rules which should be followed.

So this publication showed how all the various applications came together to give visual evidence of unity and control.

The message that the Executive took these matters seriously was encompassed by the existence of the manual.

Other organisations who worked with and for the Executive could be given a copy or the appropriate section so they would know what would matter to them.

Architects, local authorities, advertising and design agencies should be helped and not hindered by
the contents.

British Rail who had launched their new image with a comprehensive set of manuals now respected that Greater Manchester Transport had the same ideals as theirs.

It was always intended that the manual would continually evolve with new pages and sections due to changes in fashion, policies and production processes.

Sadly, its life was short due to deregulation and although an attempt was made to keep a design policy intact in the early days of GMbuses, this was constantly challenged by the new marketing management and the deterioration of the corporate identity became inevitable.

I hope you enjoy browsing through the pages and discovering how transport looked in those days and the way it was managed.

Ken Mortimer