THE LONDON UNDERGROUND MAP
GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION Created in 1931 by Henry Beck, an engineering draftsman for the London Underground Signals Office.
The first of its kind, the diagrammatic map preferenced clarity of information over accuracy of scale.
TRAVELER CONFUSION
Beck’s design of the London Underground Map revolutionized the way that Beck’s design was initially met with skepticism due to its people understood their city and navigated through it. Instead of trying to simplicity, and some travelers still struggle to use the map when depict the geography above ground, the map systematically represents navigating the city. The problem isn’t that the map is confusing, but the system below the ground. This meant that Beck had to choose that the map shows too little. Due to its geographic distortion, one which information to represent accurately, and which to distort for cannot look at Beck’s map and understand the layout of the city above. It the purpose of clarity. Geographic distance, above ground may help you perfectly navigate the underground system, but leave you totally roads, route geometry, and city organization are all confused about your location once you resurface in the city. The map must be used removed or distorted, creating a simple diagram of in conjunction with a map of the city to truly navigate a traveler to their final destination. underground routes and avoiding information Despite this, the map is almost universally regarded as a success. overload. The final product is a mixture of sequential and coordinate mapping, “Meet Harry Beck, the Genius Behind London's Iconic Subway Map”, Theverge.com Beck’s Tube Map”, tfl.gov RESOURCES “Henry “The London Underground Map: The Design That Shaped a City”, bbc.com explaining both how to move through the underground system and how it is organized.
The map was instantly a success in helping navigate the underground, and continues to be an icon of London today.
1908 THE ORIGINAL TUBE MAP The geographic map made the city center crowded and illegible. Each path was true to its actual location, and the streets above are shown as an overlay, creating confusing layers.
1933 BECK’S FIRST PUBLISHED MAP
2012 THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE TUBE MAP
Beck’s diagrammatic map greatly simplifies much of the information of the tube system. Geographic distances are not represented and all routes are represented by straight lines.
While the map has been updated to include multiple new rail lines and the city’s zones, the original form and concept of Beck’s design remains. The design has become a template for many other transportation maps around the world, including Sydney’s train network and New York City’s subway.