The block letters clearly indicate the word ‘Melbourne’. The text describes where the bikes belong. The font used is Glaser Stencil, designed by Milton Glaser, an American graphic designer in 1970. Glaser Stencil is a very clean, contemporary geometric sans serif. The negative space between the letters adds interest and attracts the viewers’ attention, as people naturally fill in the missing parts (grouping shapes together). The block letters are very functional and have been used on about everything from posters advertising a jazz record label to a series of art books. Similar stencil fonts have been used in the military, for directional signs, Boston Police and fire department logos. The retro font has stayed in fashion and is still a modern and stylish font. Glaser has designed a simple but bold font; all the letters are: capital, sit on the baseline, have no tails or serifs.
The word ‘Melbourne’ has been applied on the metal structure of the bike with a stencil. White and blue gloss paint has been used. The shiny, smooth format is streamlined and perfect for outdoor weather conditions. The solid blue tone is a conservative, calming eye-catching colour, which is ideal for Melbourne city environment. The solid blue seems fresh and new. The blues calming feeling relates to the experience of riding a bike and it is a great base for the white text.
The reason for the bikes is to improve transport. The bikes are aimed for commuters, residents, students, and visitors to inner Melbourne. With 51 bike stations and 600 ‘Melbourne share bikes’ situated around the Melbourne CBD these bikes can be seen just about anywhere in the city outdoors. This particular typeface example has been chosen for its stand out type and Melbourne share bikes are a great improvement to our city. Once again the designer’s typography is extremely successful as it is clear, simple, interesting and can be seen easily in its location.