Tube Map Central

Web Articles and some Downloads

I have a lot to say about map design, not only for the London Underground map, but urban railway maps in general. For my most up-to-date thinking, you need to read my books. On this page, you will find some discussions on design, results of usability studies, and attempts to debunk various urban myths concerning map design. Some are web articles, others are pdf files intended to be downloaded and printed.

Breaking the Rules As featured in my exhibition, my research into the psychology of interpreting maps has led me to question whether Henry Beck's design rules really are the best for all possible transport maps. There are two issues at work here: matching the right rules to a network, and the quality of implementation within a set of rules. This article discusses the major issues and gives an overview of my thinking. You can also see discussions of some of the challenging designs that I have created at the following places:
Usability Study I don't just design maps, I also test them. An article describing a typical usability study is available for download. One interesting finding is that subjective usability measures are not related to objective usability measures. In other words, asking people what they like and dislike about maps will not tell you how quickly and accurately they can use maps to plan their journeys. If you want to know whether a map is easy to use, don't convene a focus group or devise a questionnaire. Ask people to plan journeys and time them, and record their errors.
Report on the Washington, DC, Metro Map For a while, it looked as though Washington, DC, was considering an open competition in order to redesign its Metro Map. I prepared a discussion document for them, and never heard back. More fool them, they have an awful map, and there is little evidence to suggest it is going to improve in the immediate future.
Information Pollution We are bombarded with information from all directions, and the do-gooders out there want to give us more and more. The London Underground map has succumbed to this trend, but it's not just the high quantity of information that is cause for concern, but also its poor quality. Add this to the current cramped kinked design, the same dimensions as Henry Beck's original pocket folder in 1933 (and over 100 stations more) and we have a recipe for awkwardness rather than outstanding design. Adding London Overground led to a lot of debate. Should the lines have been added? Had they been added well? I've argued in my books that a decline in design standards began in the 1990s, and that recent developments are accentuating problems that have been brewing for quite some time. I am not the only person with these views. Take a look at the following:
Diamond Geezer's Blog I (audience reaction here)
Diamond Geezer's Blog II (audience reaction here)
Alex Gollner's comments and redesign
Annie Mole's London Underground Blogspot I (audience reaction here)
Annie Mole's London Underground Blogspot II (audience reaction here)
London Underground Map Myths Don't believe everything you read on the web/in the papers/see on TV! Henry Beck was a clever designer, and the Underground map has been a neat piece of design, but do they really deserve cult status? Twelve myths are discussed.