The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) was passed in 2005, designating about 3.4 million acres of land in England and Wales as “access land”. The act meant that the public could legally wander and explore vast new areas of the countryside.

A symbol was needed that would identify the new access areas, and that could be used on signposts and in a very small scale – as small as three millimetres – on maps. The Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales commissioned a UK-based brand design agency, Logo Design & Marketing, to develop a suitable logo.

“After our research and consultation with all the relevant parties, it was clear that the symbol had to be unobtrusive, visually attractive, simple and pictorial rather than typographical,” explains Lawrence Roberts, the lead designer for the project at Logo. “It also needed to be distinct and able to gain public recognition in a very short time.”

The design team wanted something that reflected the idea of freedom to roam. Some initial designs represented the human form, then the direction changed towards humans interacting with land formations.

The designers’ attention then began to focus on a precise landform shape combined with a human form. Initially, the human figure had movement and a celebratory feel. Research and feedback caused a change in emphasis towards a more instructional symbol. The client also decided that the symbol might reflect the way people should behave on open access land. The symbol had to impart the notion that it is great to get off the beaten track, but in a quiet and sensible manner.

The final phase involved subtle adjustments to allow for different production methods. The symbol had to suit reproduction in materials such as slate, granite and wood. It also needed to be suited to production methods such as routing, engraving, sandblasting or casting. The final choice was an image of a “person” combined with a landscape within a circle.

Logo Design & Marketing’s website: www.logodesign.co.uk.