RVD: The Prairie State used to use a state outline on their highway sign, but dropped it in the 1960's or 1970's. This sign brings that back, though modified to fit a square sign blank in a manner similar to Alabama state highway sign. The full state name was kept from the current boring square blank. A silver-grey wash was added outside to help it stand out from the surrounding states. Using BGS green might work in that area as well.
From Jeffrey Ammons: I sent in a Illinois state route shield with a yellow silhouette of Abraham Lincoln's head on a black background with the state name at the top. The two shields shown above are based on an Illinois license plate design. These shields feature a teal silhouette of Lincoln's head on a light blue background with the state name in fancy script. The numerals overlay Lincoln's head instead of being entirely in it. This means 3-digit numbers fit better in the shield, as you can see in the shield on the right.
From Brandon M. Gorte: Lincoln's head tends to look like a blob (unlike Washington's Washington shield). The state shape is not really conductive to a state outline type shield. It's too tall and not wide enough (unlike Iowa). The shield also needs to be something other than the "mistaken for a speed limit" square it is now. Thus, I suggest a flower pot shape, like Nebraska's and Ontario's county routes. I changed the shield around such that it represents better how Illinoisans refer to their routes (as route). IDOT has been putting up little green signs at traffic signals that cross state routes. These signs include the street name (below) and on top, the route number stated as "ILL RTE 53" or "US RTE 52". I include this in my new design.
From M. Dietrich: I also did an Illinois just for laughs.
From J.P. Kirby: This shield is based on the state license plate. "Illinois" is in the top section in lowercase italic letters. The background of the lower section is tinted yellow to signify the "Prairie State".
From David Backlin: My design is based on the Tennessee shield except I put the state name on top. This design keeps the Illinois shape on the shield, but keep it out of the way so the route number can be easily seen.
From "CZ": For this simple Illinois makeover, I have added a color (orangy yellow) and an outline of the state to vary the appearance from a speed limit sign. The shape of the state is not conducive to having a white silhouette set against a black background. I have included "Route" on one to show what it could look like to break up some of that empty space.
From Kyle P. Hoger:
Illinois's state
route shields are admittedly dull and look too much like
speed-limit signs. In Galatia, for example, there is an
"Illinois 34" shield and a "Speed Limit 30"
sign mounted on the same post, and I always have to stare at it
for a few seconds to figure out which is which. As has been noted
on the site, Illinois's state outline doesn't lend
itself to a stark cutout design as easily as some others such as
Arkansas or Missouri, and Lincoln's head is already being
used for the Lincoln Heritage Trail. Well, Lincoln's head is
already taken, but what does everyone think of when they hear the
name "Abe Lincoln", anyway? His top hat, of
course!
In designing a highway shield, I think there are two important
aspects to consider: First, the design must be distinctive, that
the sign won't be mistaken for anything else; and second, that
the sign is easily legible. Don't you hate it
when you have to squint your eyes and stare at a sign just
to figure out what it's for? A perfect example of this is
Kentucky's Purchase Parkway: the design is distinctive, to be
sure, but very far from easily legible.
My design features a white-on-black outline of a top hat with the
words "Land of Lincoln" at the top. The indication of a
brim (that smiley-looking thing at bottom) doesn't look as hot in
stark B&W as it would in color or grayscale, so I put the
state seal in its place on the 3-digit shield for comparison. I
chose to a narrower font for 3-digit highways rather than a
wider blank, because I don't think graphics lend themselves to
wider blanks as well as geometric shapes do.
I also think we could stand to color-code our highway shields by
priority. I suggest that major highways such as 13 (Murphysboro
to Harrisburg), 16 (Mattoon to Charleston), 15 (East Saint Louis
to Belleville/Freeburg), 255 (entire), 394 (entire), and 53
(Arlington Heights at least to Elk Grove Village) should have
shield borders of a different color. Also, Illinois should
follow the example of neighbors Kentucky and Missouri, and sign
its secondary highways. Kinlou Road, between Kinmundy and
Louisville, is technically Federal Aid Secondary Route 8799, so
why not sign it as such? My example does use a wider blank
in order to accommodate four digits, and I took the idea of
reverse coloring from Texas' farm-to-market roads.
Though not a highway shield, I think it's a shame that Illinois
doesn't post "Keep right except to pass" signs on its
expressways, even though it's a state law. My design uses
the yellow banner already found on "Move over for emergency
vehicles" signs, and includes a simple graphic similar to
what is found in other countries.
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This page last updated Wednesday, May 23, 2007