Two new chapters of Ilya Birman’s Designing Transit Maps are out

Few designers have an occasion to design a subway map. But the principles and techniques discussed are applicable to any tasks of complex information display: org charts, family trees, control‑flow diagrams, fire escape plans, military operation plans, project timelines, architectural drawings. The book sharpens the reader’s eye and inculcates attention to detail.

A transit map is a prominent piece of graphic design in a city. Strong graphic design works for the transport brand and, through that, for the city brand. If some map looks too London‑like, it continues to promote London rather than its own city. In the chapter ‘Map as a symbol’, Ilya shows the significant aesthetic details of different maps and talks about the importance of cultural research in the design process.

Those who never dealt with transit maps might think: there is a limited number of elements, clear relationships between them, a set of requirements for angles and colors. Aesthetics aside, shouldn’t it be possible for an algorithm to find the optimal arrangement? So far, the answer is no. In ‘Finding a solution’, Ilya shows step by step how the transportation map is made and what difficulties the designer faces.

After the chapters, there is an interactive test on the whole first part, The challenge.

The chapter ‘Bends’ is available for free. In the chapter Ilya Birman shows good and bad ways to bend the lines, introduces the bend visibility principle, talks about harmonizing the bends in line bundles.

Preorder is available as before and you can start reading the book right now. If you choose to subscribe to the book before it’s fully published, you will get 2 extra months free. Your official subscription time hasn’t started ticking yet⁠—we’ll start your subscription clock later. The book is being published in parts, and the readers still have their paid year plus 2 months as a gift.