Roberts M – TUBE MAP CENTRAL – 2020 2020

Description

The 2020 Map of the Month series examines diverse approaches to schematic mapping, balancing usability, aesthetics and information. January criticizes official London maps for distorting Crossrail and argues for spatially informative designs; Thameslink and Crossrail are integrated neatly in the author’s alternative. February revisits Henry Beck’s style, exploring faithful extrapolation and the tricky diamond interchanges. March experiments with a Brutalist-themed Tube map, emphasizing material palette, geometry and typography. April, October and a follow-up contrasts Moscow treatments—egg-shaped circles versus octolinear hexagons—considering coherence, crossings and user engagement. June reimagines Vienna’s Stadtbahn with historic typography and bespoke interchange symbols. Other pieces include decorative seasonal maps for the Essex coast (July), a 1920s-style Rotterdam schematisation (August), and a hexagonal world map for trade visualisation (September). May and November adapt transit metaphors to model economic forces and new UK/EU trade regimes, showing directionality and legal overlays. December surveys fantasy transit maps (film, Lego) and the design challenges of maintaining clarity as networks evolve.