Field and Cartwright – ANOTHER NEW DESIGN FOR AN OLD MAP 2019

Description

The document proposes an experimental redesign of the London Underground map that challenges Harry Beck’s long-standing schematic approach by reintroducing geographic accuracy, above-ground context, and contemporary cartographic techniques. Starting from scratch but retaining familiar colours and typeface, the authors used a manual pegboard method (800 nails on a 3 cm grid; ~20 hours) to produce a draft that reorients lines to follow real routes, aligns several horizontal parallels, exaggerates the central area, reduces extremities, and replaces the Circle line’s flask with a diamond. The draft was digitized in ArcGIS Pro with a 500 m grid between interchanges, new symbology to show stations and landmarks within lines, and axonometric 3D rendering to aid label placement and landmark scaling. The paper argues for more organic, context-rich map designs, invites critique, and plans user testing to assess practical utility and challenge entrenched perceptions of metro mapping.