The “InnoTrans” railway transportation engineering & technology fair periodically takes place in Berlin. It’s supposedly the place to be if you want to catch a glimpse on the status quo respectively the future of railway. This sure is true if seen from a technological point of view but sadly none of the new product lines convinced me from a design perspective. Neither the exteriors nor interiors came anywhere close to the high standards once set.

Like in so many fields, today’s look & feel of things is determined by factors such as trying to please as many customers as possible for as little as necessary. There is one field though where function and clarity still rule over lukewarm compromises and metal over plastic. Its Cargo and the industrial use of rail technology which still offer some beautiful new as well as nostalgic impressions. In industries where distinctness and clarity is essential for a friction-less and safe work-flow, the choice of typefaces, colors and shapes reflect exactly that.