Singapore's MRT Paper Signs: Wayfinding Gap or Grassroots Design?
Handwritten and inkjet-printed A4 signs have increasingly appeared alongside the official wayfinding system in Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit network. Station managers utilize software to design these signs, typically featuring bold capital letters and vibrant colors. Originally launched 40 years ago as a two-line, six-kilometre route, the network is projected to grow to approximately 360 kilometres and eight lines by the early 2030s. Significant redesigns took place in 2001 by Citigate Lloyd Northover and in 2020 by Samuel Lim, focusing mainly on the Thomson-East Coast Line. Lim's templates have been employed for various communications, such as at Stevens interchange and Bencoolen station. Writer Justin Zhuang links this trend to discussions surrounding historical transit maps.
Key facts
- Singapore's MRT network spans over 140 stations across six lines
- The network is planned to grow to about 360 km and eight lines by the early 2030s
- Paper signs are made by station managers of private line operators using office software and inkjet printers
- British agency Citigate Lloyd Northover redesigned the official system in 2001
- Australian designer Harry Williamson created the original wayfinding system
- Samuel Lim's 2020 redesign has been rolled out primarily on the Thomson-East Coast Line
- Bencoolen MRT Station is Singapore's deepest at 43 metres
- Stevens MRT Station has stacked platforms for two lines due to site constraints
Entities
Artists
- Justin Zhuang
- Samuel Lim
- Harry Williamson
- Hubert Jocham
- Harry Beck
- Massimo Vignelli
- Sheere Ng
Institutions
- Mass Rapid Transit
- Citigate Lloyd Northover
- In Plain Words
- Atelier Hoko
- It's Nice That
Locations
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
- London
- Tokyo
- New York
- Bencoolen MRT Station
- Stevens MRT Station
- Boon Keng MRT Station
- Thomson-East Coast Line
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Japan