A coordinated visual system
New York's subway graphics brought typography, color, and consistent layout to a complicated transportation system. Work by Massimo Vignelli, Bob Noorda, and their colleagues at Unimark included the 1970 graphics standards manual; Vignelli and Joan Charysyn are associated with the celebrated 1972 map.
That map emphasized an orderly network rather than a literal picture of the city. Simplified lines made connections easier to trace, while the altered geography could complicate a rider's relationship to streets above. The design remains a useful example of a central problem in information graphics: deciding which kinds of accuracy best serve a reader's task.
What to look for
- Consistent typography and placement
- Color used to distinguish routes
- A diagrammatic network rather than literal geography