Back in 2019, Ken showcased an experimental alternative Tube Map based on a diamond motif (read the Transit Maps review here) that had mixed reactions from the community. He went away and absorbed that feedback, and – like a glutton for punishment – he’s back with not one, but two new maps. Like many people, Ken believes the current Tube Map is nearly at the end of its useful life and wants to explore new concepts and idioms to map the sprawling system now and into the future.

The first map (above) is a nicely reworked version of that 2019 attempt, and addresses a lot of the issues that I had with it at the time. The removal of most of the diamond shapes makes for a less contrived design; type is larger throughout; design elements are applied more consistently; and the addition of Thameslink services to the map really helps with the overall balance of the design – filling in a lot of the empty space south of the Thames. It’s not perfect, but this is a pretty solid attempt when working within the confines of the way that the rail network is currently defined – the line names, colours and modes (e.g., Tube lines all get individual colours, but all of the Overground is relegated to the same orange).

However, the second map is where Ken throws everything out and starts completely anew, and this is where things get interesting.

On this map, all the traditional Tube Map nomenclature (Piccadilly, Bakerloo, etc.) has been reduced in importance and the many and varied route colours have been consolidated to instead represent different travel modes – deep Tube (blue), sub-surface Tube (green), Overground (salmon), Crossrail (purple representing both the Elizabeth Line and Thameslink), elevated rail (retaining the DLR’s teal), and tram (a dull olive). One could argue that differentiating between deep and sub-surface Tube lines as separate modes is splitting hairs, but the extra colour does help give some definition and form to the map, so I’ll allow it. Ken says that the chosen colours work well for colour-blind users, but I’d still like to see a little tweaking of them to make for a brighter, more visually appealing palette.

Alongside this new approach, Ken’s worked hard to encode service pattern information into the map, using a detailed legend and colour-coded terminus markers. It’s a startlingly comprehensive approach, and very much at odds with the current Tube Map, which makes absolutely no attempt to show service patterns. The terminus markers are perhaps a bit small for my liking, and I’m not sure that Johnston Sans works that well reversed out of a coloured background at those small sizes. I’d look for a complementary, less idiosyncratic sans serif that’s a little bolder for this information… a new approach is allowed to use a new typeface when it’s needed! The legend itself could also use a bit of work to make it more readable and consistent… the first column has sub-entries indented, but columns two and three don’t, for example. Good information design principles should also apply to a map’s supporting information! Speaking of which, you may have noticed that Ken’s maps dispense with zone and accessibility information altogether. As he has noted, this information is all listed in the station index on the back of the printed journey planner, so does it need to be duplicated on the map itself?

I’ll note here that one thing I do love about Ken’s maps is his sense of humour… Pink Floyd’s “flying pig” is floating above Battersea Power Station, and there’s a new “Wombling Free” station on the District Line between Southfields and Wimbledon Park – completing the full title for the map, “Underground, Overground, Wombling Free“. Presumably the station serves nearby Wimbledon Common?

Our final word: Most transit map designers are content with one attempt at reworking the Tube Map, but Ken’s come back for seconds and thirds like some kind of map-making Hobbit. Most other designers are also content to remain within the existing fabric of the map’s design language, but Ken’s not afraid to throw it all out and start from scratch, and for that he has to be commended. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but at least it can start a discussion about possible alternatives to the current official map.

Source: Ken’s Cartoblography site