The amount of visual information competing for a consumer’s attention on a daily basis is increasing all the time, making the need to stand out from one’s competitors even more critical. Effective marketing requires an organization of information in a concise and visually interesting way, all while successfully drawing a viewer’s attention and encouraging them to remember your product.

So What Does the Map of a Subway System Have to do With Graphic Design?

In 1972, the city of New York contracted graphic designer Massimo Vignelli to redesign its subway route map. Vignelli approached the project with a simple principle: communicate the necessary information to the user at the exact point of decision making, not before or after. Vignelli’s design was inspired by Henry Beck’s map, which was designed for London’s Underground Tube system half a century earlier.

While previous maps showed the train routes as geographically accurate, Vignelli adopted Beck’s method by discarding this avenue since it was extremely confusing for readers to interpret. Instead, he visually represented the routes as 45° and 90° angles, with each line indicated by a different color, and each stop by a dot.

This layout stemmed from his belief in the idea of functional beauty, or the structuring and arranging of information with the purpose of making it more understandable. This philosophy is commonly used in the design of graphs, maps, websites, blueprints, etc.

Information, Graphic Design, & The User Experience

Thanks to Massimo Vignelli’s redesign of the NY subway transit system map, passengers seeking information about train routes, hours, and delays were greeted with a user-friendly map that utilizes some of the same disciplines we employ today in the name of user interaction and user experience.
Today, with the advent of the internet on top of an already overabundance of sensory information that includes billboards, radio, magazines, television, and more, the importance of organizing information is key to helping your business not only survive, but thrive. At Green Group Studio, we are experts in structuring, arranging, and connecting potential customers to businesses through our SEO, Graphic Design, Web Design, and Web Development services. Click our live chat button to see how we can help you connect your business to potential customers, or give us a call at 561-594-7336!