A good friend of mine recently gave me the book Transit Maps of the World, a gorgeous compendium of subway/rail/tube diagrams that has a lot to say about design.

Transit maps don't reflect reality -- they're simplified diagrams that often bear very little resemblance to real-world geography. They aren't even "maps." They're more like process diagrams, visually laying out the steps you need to take to get from King Street to Fort Totten.

This is a fun design story for two reasons. First, the basic conceits used by all modern transit maps (colored lines, station circles, 45-degree diagonals) have been around since 1933, when Harry Beck had the genius idea to create a schematic of the London Underground rather than the confusing, literal maps that were in use at the time. Take a look at Beck's design -- he laid down all the rules that are still in use today after nearly 70 years.

Second, the tube map concept can be used to simplify any complex concept. Like, say, the Internet?

...or the entirety of popular music?

...or Shakespeare characters?

or the comments of Miss Teen USA South Carolina?

Once you notice the visual tricks you'll start to see them everywhere, like on this Domino's Pizza flyer where it becomes visual shorthand for "New York."

Dan
(writing projects and current releases)