London Transport Museum
POSTER DESIGN & TUBE MAPS
MAY 24, 2023
"By 1933, when London Transport was formed as a unified entity, the company was regarded as a leading patron of the arts. London Transport’s Chief Executive, Frank Pick, who had first started this progressive approach to pictorial posters in 1908, continued to oversee a huge array of commissions. These were rich in quantity and quality, with over 40 posters commissioned a year by a wide range of designers, from the famous and established to the new and unknown.
Pick’s theory behind commissioning was that posters could ‘move from the most literal representation to the wildest impression so long as the subject remained clear’. He knew that traditional posters would reassure the public, but he also recognised that public taste could be extended by exposure to the unfamiliar, the adventurous and even the shocking."
"From town to open country"
Dora M Batty, 1925
I was first drawn to this poster with its art style and lettering. The poster suggests more than an efficient service; by displaying a happy, picturesque family, the designer ties the underground with an idealized view of domestic life. "30 Minutes" advertises the system's efficiency and also provides insight into what the ideal distance/timing for cities in relation to countryside was at the time.
"Whitsuntide by Underground"
Dora M Batty, 1931
Batty's design references the Christian holiday Whitsunday, celebrated throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The poster appeals to religion and perhaps a sense of tradition associated with the holiday. A bright color palette and sprawling composition makes the countryside more inviting and encourages readers to use the underground to spend the day away from the city.
"Out and about by London Transport"
Dora M Batty, 1938
This poster drew my eye with the lively colors and floral illustration. It is aesthetically pleasing to the viewer, and limited wording maintains its playful simplicity. “Out and about” written at the top also infers that the underground is more than a service, or the means to get out, but also an experience of travelling about, or throughout, the city. That focus of Batty's most contemporary design contrasts the previous two posters, which only sell the transport system as a way to escape urban London.
London Underground Tube Map
Harry Beck, 1933
Widely celebrated as one of the greatest achievements in design, this artifact was Beck's first presentation of an underground diagram that defied the rules of proportion and of creating a "map" entirely. His proposal stirred controversy for Beck did not place his priorities in geographical accuracy. Instead he focused on communicating 1) the sequence of stations, 2) the direction of lines, and 3) the interchange options. Straight, neatly placed lines are not how the rail tracks are actually laid out, but simplify the design to be more intuitive and easy for the user. This nontraditional approach made it possible to condense the entire system into one map and improve wayfinding.
Wayfinding, the ways in which we solve problems and navigate within physical space, needs intentionality in color, shape and/or line in order to be successful. Consistent icons and color-coded lines across a transit system help users feel familiar and simplify their decision-making while travelling.