The London Underground (or the “Tube” as we like to call it here) has arguably the most iconic map in the world. The circuit-diagram style map invented by Henry Beck in 1933 paved the way for the way in which most modern metro/subway systems portray their transit networks today. Its success in aiding the traveller to find their way from A-to-B is a testament to it’s simplicity and as the saying goes “it it ain’t broke, don’t fix it“.
As the underground has expanded and changed over the years so Transport for London have updated and tweaked the map. Fair enough, but unfortunately it appears that their designers have got a bit carried away and with every new version it seems to be getting more and more complex and cluttered.
For an idea of what I mean just compare the 2004 & 2008 editions of the map:
London Underground Tube Map 2004
London Underground Tube Map 2008
I think you’ll agree that the differences are striking. The main things things which come to my mind:
- Adding background shading to show the zones is irrelevant and distracts the eye; when was your decision to go somewhere last influenced by what zone it was in?
- Adding the blue step-free access signs only helps a tiny fraction of the maps users and actually removes detail as you can no longer tell which stations are interchanges; why not have a separate map showing disabled access provisions?
- The new “London Overground” lines are a glaringly poor addition; they feel like they have been drawn around the existing map rather than integrated with it - is trying to bring together over & underground maps really a good idea?
- The tiny red symbols, indicating “Check before you travel” in the key, are completely pointless and only add more visual clutter; they look more like crucifixes to me!
So there you have it - how to ruin a design classic in four easy steps!
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There can never be any substitute for going somewhere “in the flesh” but there are times, for obvious reasons, when you can’t go there in person or you want a taste of where you’re going before you depart. With fast connections becoming ubiquitous, richer and more immersive online maps are growing in popularity and diversity. Most people are familiar with the big players in the west (Google, Yahoo, Live etc.) here are a few you may not have heard of but provide a unique virtual experience:
EveryScape
Captures some amazing 3D walkthroughs in North America and Asia using 2D photos stitched together combined with GPS data which you can wander through as your own pace or be “driven” through on autopilot. Transitions between different areas in one location is especially impressive with the environment rushing past you (ala Hyperspace). I particularly liked the Forbidden City and Great Wall captures in China which is all the more surprising considering how tight the Chinese authorities usually are in allowing the capture and use of geodata within its borders. A friend of mine who worked at a large online mapping company in Beijing told me that, whilst they had all the satellite images to be able to provide a service like Google Maps, they were not allowed to use them for reasons of “national security”…
Edushi
Take a virtual tour of Shanghai (and 21 other cities in China) rendered Sim City style - seriously cool! A part of me can’t help feeling sorry for the people at Edushi (short for E-City in Chinese) who must have had to painstakingly draw this but the result is surprisingly compelling. The maps appear to be ad supported and rather depressingly even have dedicated buttons to show your nearest MacDonalds/KFC - don’t you just love globalisation? Even if you can’t read Chinese the maps are well worth a look, even if it’s just to check out the shear audaciousness of it all!
City8.com
More virtual panoramas from China allowing you to step through some high-res 360 degree imagery from a plethora of locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Jinan and Wenzhou. Similar to Google Maps Street View you can navigate within the environment in some areas allowing you to take virtual walks, just try to avoid being run down by the crazy drivers! I like the way it presents a traditional map next to the image also highlighting your angle of vision.
Also worth checking out are Panoramas.dk for some amazing Quicktime VR and the Google Sightseeing blog which highlights some of the more quirky discoveries on Google Earth. Do you know of any others worthy of a mention?
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Last year Information Architects Japan released the very cool 2007 web trends map. They’ve just posted a “sneak peak” of the new version for 2008 and, whilst it retains the previous general look and feel, it’s even better than before! Now presented using an isometric layout based on the KantÅ region as its geographic metaphor the map shows some interesting ideas with Dataportability.org already making an appearance and Google’s Android getting pride of place in Akihabara, the otaku mecca.
I’ll be looking forward to seeing the final full-sized version.
Update (25/01): Beta version of the final map now available!
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