HARDWARE

This is perhaps my favourite shop sign in Bantry. (The shadows in this photo are real - they are not part of the actual letters)

Why do I like this so much? Although the individual letter forms could be criticised for being poorly drawn (the W is particularly uncomfortable), they are full of character and have actually been quite well spaced, with attention to the visual, rather than mathematical spacing. So the W and A (a particularly tricky combination of capitals to space effectively) sit together well and the overall rhythm of the whole is really quite accomplished, although I would want to move the D closer to the R to be perfect!

But it's the way the letter forms communicate their message that make this so successful - the sign just says 'HARDWARE' both literally and visually and is a perfect choice for its purpose. I also like the fact that this communicates what the shop does rather than falling into the common trap of using a trading name devoid of meaning. That is really what typographic design is about in my opinion - finding a marriage between words and letter forms to communicate a message visually. So in this instance, even if this was in a foreign language, I think you would have a pretty good idea what the shop is about.

The shop itself is one of a dying breed - an emporium and treasure trove of stuff you might, or may never need. So you can get hula-hoops, besoms, draught excluders, laundry baskets, pegs, mouse traps and something called a 'Drain Buster'. Inside it's dark and heaped high with everything - and the floor slopes. It's just not something you would find in the ubiquitous B&Q, Wallmart or whatever super-store you have where you live. These shops tend to survive in Ireland and long may they do so as the Big Boys all go bust.