How are transport maps created?

It’s a question I often get asked. And the other question I often get asked is why do I have to travel to the cities in order to design a map? Well, a picture, or in this case a video, is possibly better than a 1000 words.

Here, in a presentation filmed on location in Milan and the office, I answer many of the questions on the subject and more.

This also links in very nicely with my good friend and colleague Michael Burch at VISUS Institute at Stuttgart University and his colleagues in a paper we have written together called The Challenge of Designing Metro Maps.

The paper is being presented by Rudolf Netzel at the IVAPP Conference being held in Rome (27th to 29th February).

A preview of some of the paper, together with an introduction to visualisation research that was carried out by Michael and his team at VISUS  is available to view here in Michael’s blog.

There’s a real science, perhaps little known hitherto, around the makings of a transport map. We are going to be working together on much more research over the coming years with the goal of making Public Transport information and wayfinding more user friendly, much more easier to navigate, and therefore better for everyone.

Here is a rather snazzy visual that encapsulates the variety of elements that go into making a transit map.

The Challenges of Designing Metro Maps