Roberts M, Newton and Canals – RADICAL DEPARTURES 2016

Description

This 24-page academic article, “Radi(c)al departures,” was published in 2016 in the peer-reviewed Information Design Journal (Vol. 22, Issue 2, pp. 92-115). Authored by Maxwell J. Roberts, Elizabeth J. Newton, and Maria Canals, affiliated with universities in the UK and Spain, it presents a rigorous empirical study on schematic metro map usability. The document features seven illustrative figures, primarily showcasing various metro map designs, including the Paris Metro, London Underground, and the two Berlin U-/S-Bahn maps (octolinear and concentric circles) central to the research. It offers a trustworthy, data-driven analysis of objective performance measures and subjective user ratings, highlighting a significant and frequently observed dissociation between perceived and actual usability. This makes it an essential resource for researchers and designers interested in the cognitive psychology of information design and human-computer interaction, offering critical insights into effective map creation.