Field – ANOTHER NEW DESIGN FOR AN OLD MAP 2019

Description

Kenneth Field critiques the overused Beck-style London Underground map and presents his own redesigns. Arguing the current map is cluttered and poorly iterated, he calls for omission and fresh experimentation. Starting from scratch, he sketched a schematic on a square pegboard with thread to create a cleaner planimetric layout that better balances schematic abstraction with geographic cues—most notably a tapered, geographically placed River Thames. He retained Johnston type and TfL colours but simplified line directions, introduced cased lines for separation, replaced station ticks with negative-space symbols, reworked interchange icons, and removed secondary clutter (accessibility markers, intermittent services, fare zones). He digitized the pegboard in ArcGIS Pro, producing a crisper A2 poster. Field also explored a 3D axonometric version—tubular lines and 45° labels inspired by Herman Bollmann—aimed at integrating above-ground context while avoiding perspective distortion. He invites critique, acknowledges collaborators, and frames the work as an experimental step toward a new London map style.