Background
Banks, Colin was born on January 16, 1932 in United Kingdom. Son of William James and Ida Jenny (Hood) Banks.
Banks, Colin was born on January 16, 1932 in United Kingdom. Son of William James and Ida Jenny (Hood) Banks.
Student, Medway College Printing.
He went to Rochester and Maidstone schools of art (both became Kent Institute of Art & Design then eventually the University for the Creative Arts), and met John Miles at Maidstone. With John Miles, he was the Production Editor of Which?, and associated magazines, from 1964 to 1993. Banks was an influential designer, and his Telecom (T) identity, created for British Telecommunications when it was instituted in 1981, spawned many imitators.
Its replacement by Wolff Olins" British Telecom "piper" was received with much derision in 1991.
Banks received a prestigious Republic of South Africa /British Broadcasting Corporation Design Award in 1990, for the paper-saving redesign of the United Kingdom"s Phonebook. Miles and Banks designed the United Kingdom Post Office"s distinctive "double-line" alphabet in 1972 and New Johnston, a revival of Edward Johnston"s "Underground Sans", for London Transport.
They also designed the logo of Lancaster University. Banks was President of the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) from 1988 to 1993 and 2000 to 2002.
Treasurer Project Mala Children's Schools, India, 1988-1992. Active family planning project United States Aid, Indonesia, 1985. Governor, member board various colleges.
Fellow Chartered Society Designers (vice president 1974-1976), Society Typographic Designers (president 1988-1993), Royal Society Arts (Green award 1989), Zoological Society London. Member Wynkyn de Worde Society (president 1983-1984), Association Typographique International, Design in Industry Association, Gutenberg-Gesellschaft, Double Crown Club (president 1991-1992).
Married Caroline Grigson, September 18, 1961. Children: Joseph Caxton, Frances Jenny (deceased).