Famous Logos: Part XVIX — Transport for London
When we consider the world’s most recognisable logos, corporate giants like Coca-Cola or Apple often spring to mind. Yet, some of the most influential symbols emerge not from boardrooms, but from the streets — clear, functional, and embedded in daily life. Few logos exemplify this better than London’s iconic roundel, the emblem of public transport that has silently shaped the city’s identity for over a century.
In 2025, Transport for London celebrates its 25th anniversary as the body overseeing the city’s transport networks. However, the roundel’s journey began much earlier, giving Londoners and visitors a visual anchor that has evolved with the city rather than fading into history.
From underground sign to a citywide symbol
In 1905, shortly before the roundel was introduced, the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) registered the ‘winged wheel’ as its trademark. It only briefly appeared on the company’s fleet of motor buses, but remained on uniform badges - like this cap pin - until LGOC became part of the Underground Group in 1912.
The roundel began as a simple solution in 1908 — a red disc behind station nameboards to stand out amid growing advertisement clutter. By 1916, under Frank Pick’s design leadership and guided by Edward Johnston’s refined graphical logic, the symbol evolved into its modern form: a red ring with a blue bar for station names. This isn’t just a historic artifact; it’s a bold, clear element created to navigate a growing, complex city.
The first emblem from 1905 was mainly used as a badge on uniform hats. It wasn’t widely applied elsewhere, as the idea of branded or signed products was not yet common in the early 1900s.
Colour as system, not decoration
Beyond the classic red-and-blue design, the roundel became a modular family of visual signals. Each transport mode adopted its own color-coded variation — from red buses to green for DLR, orange for Overground, and turquoise for Tramlink. More notably, the Elizabeth line, introduced in 2022, brought a violet hue to the roundel — a thoughtful tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. This choice cleverly merges functionality, commemoration, and branding, demonstrating how even small design decisions can echo larger cultural narratives.
Current selection in TfL roundels that include several transport opportunities all united under the one visual system.
Typography as London’s visual voice
If the roundel is the face, Johnston Sans is London’s unmistakable voice. Commissioned in 1913 and released in 1916, Edward Johnston’s humanist sans-serif captured both clarity and warmth, inspired by Roman letterforms yet tethered to modernity . Redesigned in 1979 as New Johnston to meet emerging printing needs, and refined again in 2016 with Johnston100 for digital legibility (including @ and # symbols), the typeface has remained consistent while evolving with the times .
The closest alternative typeface with accessible licencing — P22 Underground designed by Edward Johnston, Paul D. Hunt, and Richard Kegler. From P22 Type Foundry. Johnston 100 licences is managed by UK Government and shared only to companies related to projects with government institutes.
Consistency through thoughtful evolution
What makes the roundel enduring isn’t static stubbornness, but a philosophy of minimal, meaningful change. From physical platforms to digital touchpoints, its presence reassures and guides. Rarely do logos become so seamless that they define a city’s visual language from daily navigation to streetwear iconography.
Cultural context: 25 years of TfL, over a century of design
As TfL marks a quarter-century since its formation in 2000 , it rests on a design legacy more than five times its age. The roundel, paired with Johnston’s typeface, shows how resilience in design can outlast institutional winds of change, sustained by trust, clarity, and cohesion.
The London Underground map is one of the corner stones of the design system that is widely used as a separate graphical element, almost like I LOVE New York sign by Milton Glaser drawn New York campaign from 1977.
London double deckers, with Johnston100 numbering and line signs (Private photo)
A creative nod to us
Fun fact: One of our own projects — Station Tartu — shares a playful visual resonance with the London roundel. Conceived as a network of rental homes centered around “everything you need to live,” Station Tartu incorporates circular forms reminiscent of the roundel, and evokes themes of connection, clarity, and community.
Station Tartu - well-balanced and simple visual identy and graphics that spekks the story where your apartment, coffe corner or even a toilet can be a station or small break on your journey.
Ever-present, ever-adaptable
Perhaps the roundel’s greatest legacy is this: true design endurance comes not from revolutionary reinvention, but from thoughtful adaptation. It is a quiet guardian of clarity amid chaos — and London’s most trusted travel companion, now and for decades to come.
