Are you bored of the traditional Tube Map, or do you find it confusing and cluttered?
Many alternative Tube Map designs have been created over the years, and we have a few special designs to show you, including an Art Deco map, a circular map, and even a stunning Night Tube map for when it comes into effect later this year.
Maxwell Roberts, creator of Tube Map Central, is a psychologist who has researched into human intelligence and inference; he uses that knowledge to create and design maps, as well as conducting usability studies to test them.
Many of his designs are gorgeous and distinctive, in different art styles. However his 'In Circles' map dramatically alters the way we look at the Tube line.
READ MORE: Night Tube map: First-look at London Underground night service
On the circular design, Mr Roberts said: "In December 2012, the final section opened for London's new Overground loop, and a number of designers were proposing maps making extensive use of circles to emphasise the new orbital connections.
"Unfortunately, these grafted the new shape onto standard Henry Beck schematic map rules: horizontal and vertical straight lines, and 45 degree diagonals.
"From the point of view of a circle, there is nothing special about these angles, and the results suffered from having elements that communicated with each other poorly. "
Mr Roberts said: "The most effective way to relate concentric circles to straight lines is to use spokes and tangents. Thus was born my 'Circles Tube Map. Many found the concept too alien, but others were mesmerised by its unearthly charm, totally unlike any Underground map seen before.
"I had intended Circles Tube Map as a playful exploration rather than an improvement in usability.
"The design lost points for simplicity - its lines twisting and turning with very many inevitable corners - but the payback seems to be a massive gain in coherence - the way in which the elements of a map holistically relate to each other, giving the result clear shape and structure."
Mr Roberts added: "These maps force cities into unprecedented levels of organisation, appealing to people who like to see an orderly world."
So what do you think of these alternative Tube map designs? Do you think the traditional map needs re-working into something more exciting? Let us know in the comments below!
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To see more of Maxwell Roberts' maps and work, please visit his website.
