Gothamist: Map of the Day: Vignelli's Subway Map, Updated

Kingpin

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:57:20 -0500

Now we would really like to see a London Underground style map for New York. I call that a challenge. :)

Toby von Meistersinger

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:30:42 -0500

According to the New York City Transit Authority Graphics Standards Manual (1970), which was the work of Massimo Vignelli, the typeface (at least used on the original) is Standard Medium which is not Helvetica. (Yes, we have a copy and it weighs about ten pounds and was not fun to lug home.) As for the design, most of the older subway maps (1960s and before) were basically variants on the standard Hagstrom map of the city, so going to something a bit more conceptual was a bit of a stretch. However, the big challenge is getting the dense cluster of lines in Manhattan to balance with the radials of lines in the outer boroughs, plus the fact there isn't anything to the west to provide a counter balance. It is sort of a unique situation. The current map isn't that bad, although we do like the ones from the 1990s. There is a great book called Transit Maps of the World, which is interesting how good New York's maps have been compared to some other cities. Now we would really like to see a London Underground style map for New York.

Think twice

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:59:08 -0500

Modernism with a capital M, and all that goes with it. I'd like the MTA to do a test run of the map just to gauge the reactions of today's straphangers. The KickMap has the best of both worlds: Vignelli's pragmatism and Tauranac's humanism.

Kingpin

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:41:30 -0500

Now you mention that... the current map probably gives a more accurate idea of the distances from one station to another with it also depicting Manhattan island and major streets.

Sir Jimbob

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:32:32 -0500

Needs street names.

Kingpin

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:32:09 -0500

Guy doesn't seem to get the hint about his map, does he? I wonder if he'll ever stop tweaking it. I'm not a fan of the 'black dot in the line' idea for the station icon, I prefer the 'London Underground style white dot with black line larger than the line' design of the existing Subway map. I'm not a huge fan of depicting a line for every train either.

konakazi

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:32:32 -0500

The design is great and it would be cool to have a Bizarro version of the subway map up in my apartment but $300?! Puh-leez.

zodak

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:59:00 -0500

Helvetica > Arial

ihateallbrokers

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:22:28 -0500

aka spagetti map... sorry voguesters and wannabe's I dont need any limited edition signed copies, I have my own orginal spagetti map from back in the dayz!

chuzzlewit

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:04:16 -0500

men's vogue? wtfit?

Alex

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:46:13 -0500

This map is pretty bad. According to it I can take the N to 8th st whenever. It's ugly too. Kick map is the best and most easy to understand map, then the current map, and this one is a distant 3rd.

edEx

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:45:22 -0500

i like them as well. but vignelli, isn't just a map/signage draftsman, he designed the American Airlines logo which to this day is the only airline logo that hasn't been redesigned/retooled.

Politburo

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:20:55 -0500

edEx: It's more like George Dow and Harry Beck who you should be praising.. dunno why Vignelli is a genius for recreating an (at the time) 40 year-old design (he acknowledges this in the quote).

TKaisen

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:13:45 -0500

Thanks, Gothamist for the couple step jump to the "KickMap" post. I hadn't seen that before.

edEx

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:03:58 -0500

helvetica is one of the most widely used fonts on earth. it's a terric font, you're just mad because MTV ruined it. vignelli is also a GREAT designer! his idea of not using scale for the maps was genius!

dbc

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:53:41 -0500

I don't like the 45 degree angle used, nor do I like how stops that are part of one station serving several lines aren't necessarily represented as such. In particular, the 53rd St./Lex E/V and 51st St. 6 station is confusing--the stop for the 6 is too high on the line and it looks like you can just walk between the 6 & the V, not the 6 and the V and the E (V & E are on the same tracks).

chris

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:46:52 -0500

I'm sorry, this map still sucks. Not only is it more confusing than the current map, even if it is more readable, but it has Helvetica. Helvetica is an eyesore - and people need to get over it.