Below you will find a short text (or a talk) I gave in April 2014 during a congress on schematic maps at the University of Essex, Colchester in the UK, where I presented some of my works commissioned by Attoma as a freelancer.
3rd April 2014, session 5: schematic mapping in the real world
“PRACTICAL SCHEMATIC MAPPING: TRANSIT SYSTEMS”
I am Aurélien Boyer-Moraes, freelance information graphic designer, I have worked with Attoma concerning design for public transit. I have designed system maps, to be precise.
Schematic mapping is more than closely related to our work, that’s why we are here today.
I already used a lot the word “design”, I will make a short digression on this.
I would like to give you a very concise definition of this word in French: « dessiner à dessein ». This is made up of all the concept and meanings of this magic word. It means broadly “to draw to aim”. To draw, dessiner and design have the same etymology in French, like dessiner and “to design in English as you surely noticed. They both come from the Italian “disegno”, originally from the Latin “signum”. Moreover, « dessein » and « dessin » were for a long time identically spelled in French, in fact « dessein » is the figurative form of « dessin » which means “to have a plan in mind”.
End of the digression, I assume that was not totally off topic.
Indeed, I said previously that we are information graphic designers.
In fact effective map making amounts to doing good information design, this is the same motivation, using the same tools such as semiology and graphic variables.
So, mapping is central in the field of information design for public transit.
In other words, sytem maps work as cornerstones for graphic design guidelines we make.
And biggest the cities are, or biggest and even more complicated the networks are, the more we tend to go into abstraction. This abstraction, at different degrees, means schematic.
It is the most synthetic element of the chain of information items encountered by the user in their journey.
Why schematic? Because it highlights the internal logic of the networks.
Schematic maps are like these diagrams used in biology to show how a system works, schematic maps litteraly show the network’s structure and finally how the system works.
A transit map must be useful, this may sound evident.
Unfortunately too often, specially in France for instance, these maps are geographically accurate, and just superimpose individual lines, using a large color palette on top of a complicated and complete city street map. This is not information design and not even information.
This common approach simply confuses the user, misleading them into a jungle of graphic signs and symbols.
There are too many superfluous details which enter in competition with the relevant ones, those related to the transit services.
Too much unorganized information is as useful as none.
For instance, all roads are often represented as equal lines, from a major thoroughfare to a neighborhood dead-end street.
This is very common practice.
These maps are certainly accurate, yes, but they miss the point, they don’t show how the whole system works.
Since many efforts are made all around the world to improve public transit, why having effective transit system without effective information? Besides the lack of understanding, this could even create under usage of service, which in turn leads in a vicious circle, to reductions and cuts in the service.
That’s the key point of our approach: showing users the relevant distinctions, such as frequency, type of service, direction, major hubs and generators by accurate, relevant graphic signs.
These standards affect also the signage, it is global design.
This allows the user to sort the mass of details presented by the network and urban environment.
That gives the user an understanding of the services offered.
Obviously the needs are not the same at every touchpoint of the network.
That’s why complete schematic system maps are displayed in strategic points throughout the urban area, along with other elements, such as individual detailed route maps at each bus stop, complete schedule and neighborhood maps where it is needed.
Those neighborhood maps are geographically accurate and are typically implemented in urban core, like city centers. They have the same graphic standards as the schematic maps, but on a detailed background.
This whole approach is user-centered, and is about simplifying users’ interactions with the service.
Moreover, by making a service recognizable, we help users perceiving it as familiar and developing a sense of belonging.
All these reasons lead us to offer in a schematic form:
- displaying a reduced color palette, where every color have a signification;
- simplified street pattern, showing only important, structuring roads of the city;
- important elements of the urban landscape;
- and symbols for landmarks and other points of interest specifically designed to fulfill the needs of every potential user’s journey.
These maps are entirely drawn, from a “blank page”, like our digital documents are initially, created ad hoc.
As we control and set up all the features, we don’t need GIS sources to start with. We use Adobe Illustrator, so these maps are vectors, and no single anchor point is imported from external sources.
To finish with this general introduction, maps are printed materials, they have a certain stability, new IT media are brittle, they can disrupt without notice. On the ground, the map will give you key information, the map shows you where you are and what your options are.
City & Transit Maps 