All posts tagged: wayfinding

Official Proposed Map: “SEPTA Metro” Map and Wayfinding, 2021

September 7, 2021
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After teasing this for a while now, SEPTA has finally dropped their recommendations for a completely revamped (and long overdue!) rapid rail network map and wayfinding system. And I have to say, I’m cautiously optimistic about things so far. Note: The image above is a screenshot of an online interactive map that omits the map’s title and legend. The printed map has this information included. The first and most obvious difference when compared to previous […]

Video: New “Johnston100″ Typeface Family by Monotype

June 14, 2016
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For Johnston Sans’ 100th birthday, TfL has commissioned Monotype to redraw the typeface, bringing the design back closer to its original roots in many respects. Going forward, it will be this cut that will be used on all new TfL signage, maps and collateral. The redraw also introduces two new weights – Thin and Hairline – that I remain unconvinced by. I suspect they’ve been added for online usage and advertising purposes, but they just […]

Video: New Wayfinding Signage and Map for the Montreal Metro!

October 2, 2015
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Sent my way by Patrick and Steve, here’s a short video from Montreal’s STM agency explaining the new wayfinding system that’s starting to be rolled out across the Metro system. The major talking point (for me, at least) is the replacement of Univers with FF Transit as the system’s main typeface. It’s a very complementary choice, and I doubt most people would even notice the difference in passing. However, I think there’s definitely enhanced legibility, […]

Subway Maps in Mario Kart 8 “Super Bell Subway” Course

April 28, 2015
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Sent my way by quite a few people now! Taken from a new DLC map set inside a subway station and the surrounding tracks, we have quite the array of maps! Here we have a map for the whole system, a strip map for the Orange Line, and even a locality map! The main subway map itself is pretty non-descript and generic – not a lot to say about this. The strip map, however, is […]

Photo: Indicator Board, Eastwood Station, Sydney (2008)

March 2, 2015
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Ah, yes, the old manual indicator boards that used to be at pretty much every Sydney train station. I actually walked past these very boards for much of my high school, college and early working career, as Eastwood was my local station.  Of course, these venerable boards have now finally been replaced with newer electronic signs that update automatically without the need for the stationmaster to come and flick over all the station names manually, […]

System Maps, Mt. Washington Station, Baltimore Light Rail

February 19, 2015
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An (original 1992?) outdoor signage/map/wayfinding array at Baltimore’s Mt. Washington light rail station. While the main map on the central panel shows all the current stations and branches (dating it to after 1998), it looks as though there could be some patches or stickers on top of an older map to achieve this. To be honest, I don’t know why this map has to have any curves in its route line at all: I feel […]

Video: Making Vitreous Enamel Wayfinding Signage

August 26, 2014
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As an aside to the last post about the 1983 Chicago CTA map, Dennis also sent along this fun little “How It’s Made” video about the process used to create signs such as this. In the case of the CTA signs, the background blue would be the second layer applied to the steel signboard, and white and black would be the two screen printed colours that are then fired and fused permanently to the backing. […]

Photo: Los Angeles Rail Maps

February 19, 2013
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Great photo showing how the LA Metro maps are part of a larger, unified, wayfinding system. Consistency of typography and brand are key – note how the titles of each map are in the same location and typeface every time, as is the Metro logo: colour is the main differentiator of information. Source: yreese/Flickr

Photo: Barcelona Wayfinding

December 20, 2012
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Not only is this an awesome picture, but it really shows off how the Barcelona Metro map is part of a greater, unified, wayfinding scheme. Here, on one panel, we’ve got a nice big map, information about the Metro, a complete cross-referenced list of stations, and a local area map showing the transportation options around the current station. Wonderful stuff. Source: albertmiralles/Flickr – link no longer active