Anon – ONLY CONNECT 1987

Description

In 1931 engineering draughtsman Harry Beck designed what has become the London Transport Underground map, now acknowledged as a “Design Classic.” Beck—then an unknown 29-year-old later laid off in an economy drive—was inspired by electrical circuit diagrams and produced the map by hand over many years, even sketching a cartoon wireless-diagram version with electrical puns. When first submitted it was dismissed as too revolutionary; only after two years was it accepted on trial and he was paid five guineas. Beck’s innovation sacrificed scale, proportion and geographic accuracy for clarity and simplicity, retaining only a stylised River Thames. He understood that a usable guide must prioritise station sequence and interchange points over exact geography. The map now serves a network of roughly 250 miles and 273 stations used by about two and a half million people daily and has been called “the perfect piece of design” by Gert Dumbar.