New London Tubemap

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Please note: An update for compatibility with iOS5 and additional features and improvements will be submitted to Apple shortly.
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The original London Underground diagram, designed by Harry Beck, is one of the greatest designs of the twentieth century. He rationalised and clarified a complex system to produce a simple, easy to follow piece of information graphics. The principles he established for the diagram are still in use today.

However, in 1931 when it was first used, there were only seven lines so the compromises Beck made on geographical accuracy did not matter greatly. Today, with the constant development of the diagram now accommodating twice as many lines, these inaccuracies are more of a problem. Indeed, they form the basis for a major criticism of the diagram, that it bears little or no relation to London at street level.

The map illustrated here is an attempt to see if it is possible to create a geographically-accurate representation of the London tube system while still retaining some of the clarity of Beck’s original diagram. It uses similar principles, fixed line angles – in this case 30 and 60 degrees instead of 45 – and shortens the extremities of the lines to make it more compact.

Making the position of the stations the most important element of the design means there is less space for the station names. To allow for this, a new condensed typeface has been created – New Underground Condensed – which is based on Edward Johnston’s original font.

This map will help visitors to London navigate the city more efficiently. It will make it easier to decide which route to take including whether it is quicker to walk between stations. As the project develops, we will add more information to help users of the London tube system which will be accessible on-line, in print, and via the app.

We welcome your views and ideas about this map and your experiences of using the London Underground system. You can contribute via our website which has links to the blog, Twitter and Facebook. Our aim is to create a dynamic map that responds to the needs of the user, makes best use of technology, and reflects the way we live our lives in the 21st Century.

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Future updates will include:
- additional station information
- iPad support
- new maps
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We will be updating the map and the app on a regular basis as the project matures.

For more information please contact: info@london-tubemap.com or visit the website to get involved.
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更新履歴
We are aware of a combination of actions causing a crash, especially on older versions of the iPhone and iPod touch. This fix should alleviate this as we prepare version 1.1.

Also includes fixes for certain issues if you have upgraded to iOS5.

We are listening: iPad compatibility on its way in one universal app.