Narrator: Take a look at these road signs. What do you think they are trying to communicate?
Before cars, we didn’t need signs like these. But as the roads got more crowded, it got dangerous out there! Now there are stop signs, speed limit signs, even kangaroo crossing signs! Can you think of other reasons for road signs?
Margaret Calvert: The most important thing about road signs is that they save lives.
Narrator: That’s a good reason! Margaret Calvert designed these signs for Great Britain more than 50 years ago.
Margaret Calvert: The most important thing is not to have too much information on a sign. It had to be very clear and very simple.
Narrator: Some of her signs are so simple, they don’t even have words. You can understand their meaning just from the shape of the sign, the colors, and the pictures. For example, red, white and black triangular signs, like these, are warning signs. Calvert came up with the pictures herself.
Margaret Calvert: I felt that the children crossing should be as realistic as possible, simple but realistic. I actually based that on myself at that age, which would have been about eight.
Narrator: How would you design a children crossing sign for where you live?