regional scripts they have grown up with and
know well. It’s only then that this typographic
mismatch can begin to be resolved.
We have to bear in mind that all scripts are
not the same and the qualities thatmake one
‘modern’, may not do the same for others.
They are products of function and use, and
when signs are used effectively, there is a
payoff: a store could gain new customers, a
bakery could broaden its base of regulars or
a library could widen its membership.
So, the next time you are on the streets
of Mumbai, look up, look around, and think
about which signs make you feel more
welcome and why. Ponder what their letters
are saying both implicitly and explicitly. And
that is the power of a sign — to make a space,
any space, feel accessible for the audience
they cater to.
LEFT: SIGNAGE IN DEVANAGARI
SCRIPT AT STARBUCKS IN FORT
BELOW: THE HERMÈS SIGN AT THE
STORE’S WINDOW
BELOW LEFT: A SIGNBOARD IN
ENGLISH, GUJARATI, MARATHI
AND HINDI AT MANGALDAS
MARKET, KALBADEVI