Rose – TO HELL AND BECK – OR BECK TO THE FUTURE, PERHAPS 2022

Description

The author argues TfL’s 2022 Tube and Rail & Tube maps are poorly conceived: adding network elements without expanding the map’s size has produced cluttered, hard-to-read diagrams that increase cognitive load and hinder journey planning. Relying on Beck’s 45° orthogonal rules, inappropriate corporate typefaces, cramped geometry and an unwillingness to question institutional assumptions has led to misleading interchange depictions, tiny station names, and unnecessary emphasis on fare zones. Citing Dunning–Kruger tendencies, the piece criticizes TfL’s belief it can redesign maps internally without rigorous user research or specialist expertise. The author recounts a 2004 commission to redesign the map—producing an A3, user-focused version that was never adopted due to organisational constraints, procurement issues and cost-saving printing choices—and reports research showing poorer performance with the official map (about 20% longer planning times). He calls for applying the four Ds (Discover, Define, Design, Deliver), using subject-matter experts, and rebuilding the map to suit the network’s information needs rather than preserving tradition or corporate convenience.