Welcome to the Sign Design Society

The Sign Design Society (SDS) is for anyone interested in information and graphic communication within buildings and public spaces, including:

As well as raising the profile of our disciplines, we offer members a programme of events, resources and initiatives to help them:

To join choose a membership plan that suits you and sign up!

Our events

Five open mouths excitedly sharing awesome ideas and accompanying hands 'exclaiming' to promote the SDS & SEGD London 17 September symposium (Postive Places) at London Design Festival 2026.

Discover what’s positive and exciting in the world right now for wayfinding and placemaking, from bold, people-first design to smart new tech.

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02-public-typography-in-Japan

15 October 2026 (1pm BST) Approachable, friendly, and playful – these are the qualities most often associated with rounded sans typefaces in Europe. Yet these associations are far from universal. In Japan, rounded sans are often the voice of authority – they are not only far more commonly used in public typography than in many […]

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Third party events

Black graphic with white serif text reading “The Scottishness of Scottish Type.”

Can a typeface ever represent a country, or is this just something that graphic designers imagine? Does Helvetica really say Switzerland? Does Antique Olive look French? Is Baskerville the face of England? And when it comes to Scotland, what would that be?

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Bold black text reading “The Art of Listening” on a bright magenta background

For this special event, we’re bringing together eight speakers who’ll share their unique perspectives on typography and type design. They will share how they experience the world of type – not just through observation, but through tuning into to their craft, their peers, feedback, stories, rhythms and histories that shape our creative practice.

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Black graphic with white serif text reading “The Scottishness of Scottish Type.”

To celebrate Commercial Type’s latest release, Spectator, Paul Barnes will talk on Scottish type and its impact on the world. Can a typeface ever represent a country, or is this just something that graphic designers imagine? Does Helvetica really say Switzerland? Does Antique Olive look French? Is Baskerville the face of England? And when it comes to Scotland, what would that be?

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Cyan Festival of Visual Culture

Start date: 30 September 2026
End date: 3 October 2026
Geometric cyan‑and‑red poster for the CYAN Festival of Visual Culture, showing dates for 2026.

This is an ideal opportunity for professionals and those who want to become to expand their knowledge and connect with experts from different fields of visual culture.

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The Bartlett Autumn Show 2026

Start date: 30 September 2026
End date: 11 October 2026
A person stands in front of a brightly lit exhibition display containing rows of small geometric and mechanical models mounted on metal frames, arranged like an organised design or engineering showcase.

The Bartlett Autumn Show 2026 showcases work by postgraduate students across seven courses at the Bartlett School of Architecture. the exhibition will run in the school’s signature dual format, with a physical show at the school’s Bloomsbury home, 22 Gordon Street, and a full online show on our award-winning interactive virtual platform, where visitors around the world […]

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