![]() ![]() MIT researchers found that subway lines taking sharper turns are easier to follow, and major transfers are crisper as a result.Ĭompare the layout of Berlin's subway map above with the geographically correct layout below: Like London, Berlin uses a geographically distorted visualization of its subway system as the main map for travelers. London's subway system is extremely complex, and while this map may be difficult to read at a small size and employs a complicated color code, it provides a coherent overview.Ĭompare the subway map above with geographically correct subway routes below: London's subway map is similar to Vignelli's for New York City: It abstracts the city into lines that are only vertical, horizontal, or at 45-degree angles. The Best Subway Maps in the World 1) London, England Let's take a look at some of the world's subway map designs and see how they differ in complexity, abstraction, and style - and what makes some designs better than others. There are dozens of subway systems around the world, illustrated both by maps that are confusing but geographically sound, and maps that are abstract but more soothing to the eye. In certain real-world applications, this understanding might be critical designing in-car navigation maps that take peripheral vision into account could potentially save lives." They found that "a map need not stay geographically faithful to be visually useful. Was that the right decision? In 2013, a team of MIT researchers used the Boston subway map to study how the human visual system collects information. In 1979, it was replaced with a more geographically accurate map - the one on the right. While Vignelli's map was easier for people to navigate, it wasn't an accurate portrayal of the geography. The New Yorker called it "a nearly canonical piece of abstract graphic design." But many people focused on the "abstract" part of that description, and it didn't sit will with them. He also made Central Park - normally a rectangle - into a square. So he redesigned the map so that all the lines ran either vertically or horizontally. ![]() To Vignelli, the only way to make the crazy twists and turns of the city's subway lines comprehendible to the public would be to, well. In 1972, Massimo Vignelli chose the latter - visual clarity - when he designed a map of the New York City subway system. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |