In 1931 Henry Beck designed the archetypal London Underground map. It was a breakthrough in graphic design and cartography. He was the first to react in an appropriate way to the new means of transportation with a simple, schematic and easily comprehensive map that considered the need of a new time-space notation. Subway maps all over the world were heavily influenced by Becks innovative design. But what was the innovation? It was his spare and color-coded geometry which worked without geographic references as a wholly closed system. There were only vertical, horizontal and 45° lines. The map does not show relations between places but between points. The distance between them is not defined by a metrical distance, but by the needs of an easily readable design since it has no claim to display whether a measurement of time or space.
Reference:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/journals/pdf/desi_19_1_25_0.pdf
Underground map of London used until 1933
Beck's Underground map
Example of a geographical approach of a map. Contrary system to Beck
Two contemporary examples following Beck's ideal of graphical communication and map design
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