London underground map

Metro maps use bright, bold colours to make complex transit systems easy to understand. Each line gets its own colour so passengers can follow their route quickly, even without reading the names. This clever use of colour helps millions of people navigate busy cities around the world every day.

The first London Underground maps were a tangled and confusing web of intersecting lines. They tried to accurately represent the stations’ geographic locations. Henry Beck (known as Harry) revolutionised the layout of tube maps.

Harry was an electrical draughtsman for the London Underground. In 1931 he found himself unemployed and set about the task of reimagining the map’s design. He used only horizontal, vertical and 45° diagonal lines. Harry’s design focused on how the stations and lines connect rather than their precise geographic location. The evenly spaced stations make the map much easier to follow.

London transport rejected Harry’s first design. Undeterred he made adjustments and in 1933 the first pocket editions of the map were printed. They were a success. Modern maps are still based on his design.

Visual description: A map of the London underground, with each tube line indicated by a different colour. The lines criss-cross the page, with greater density towards the centre. Stations are labelled and marked along the lines at regular intervals. In the bottom right corner, the Transport for London roundel sits beside a colour-coded key identifying each line. The reverse side contains a dense, text-heavy list of stations and their facilities organised into seven columns.