In 1932, an electrical engineer named Henry Charles Beck, more commonly known as Harry Beck, took on the task of redesigning the London Underground and became one of the pioneers who contributed to the success of the Underground. This critical article explores the success of the London Underground, looking specifically at Harry Beck and his Map design and how it contributed to the legacy of the London Underground. The article will look at London transport maps from before 1933 and compare them to the maps we use today. This will highlight the differences and show how they have evolved over time. It will also look at some of the key people involved in the development of the metro and show how their ideas shaped its future. It will take a close look at Harry Beck's influential underground map design (1933) and show how it changed our view of maps. The London Underground's brand identity, plans, branding and signage will also be explored with the aim of revealing how it was formed and maintained whilst focusing on the key people who contributed to the 'look' from the metro. . It will study the impact of the London Underground on the rest of the world, not only in terms of transport but also in design. The legacy of the Underground will also be explored, looking at merchandise, branding and other ways it impacted not only its future, but that of design as well. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The London Underground is famous around the world, it features the line that was originally the first ever underground railway. However, although being the first is enough to make it famous around the world, it is not enough to make it a success. First of all, this critical article aims to dissect the history of the underground to discover the key figures and their contributions. This will be done by highlighting the important changes and decisions that were made and their success. figures involved in the underground by examining and evaluating their contributions through deconstruction and research. Frank Pick, Johnston, Harry Beck. The article will examine the legacy of the London Underground and the early maps used with the aim of tracing their journey from geographical accuracy to a recognizable design which is not necessarily geographically precise. This will once again highlight the changes that have occurred over time and how they have affected the success of the underground. This critical article aims to focus on the London Underground plan (1933) and the designer Harry Beck. The aims are to highlight the image of the London Underground and identify how it has changed the design of the maps. Harry Beck's design will be evaluated through analytical deconstruction, while paying particular attention to the context of the design and public reception. Who will reveal the harsh criticism and cold shoulder Beck faced as he attempted to revolutionize card design? A key source that will be examined is “How to Lie with Cards” (Monmonier, 1996), which highlights the need for clarity and simplicity in card design, which Beck understood. This critical article aims to show how revolutionary Harry Beck's design was by revealing its impact worldwide. The aim is to show the history of the use of Beck's design throughout the world. Show today its influence on transport cards, highlighting the importance of aspects ofdesign. If Becks' design principles have been improved. This critical article aims to show the current success of the underground. The goals are to show how the underground, as a brand, has impacted popular culture. It will examine inspired artwork, adaptations and spin-off products. Emphasize how recognizable it is as a brand. Charles Tyson Yerkes was an American financier who in 1900 established the Underground Electric Railways Company of London to control the District Railway. Yerkes wanted to become involved in the development of London's underground railway system and strive to unify it. Although he died in 1905 before any of his works were completed, his ideas were implemented by his successors when they were collected into a single map. The first combined map of London's underground lines began to be published for passengers in 1906, before this each line had its own separate map. The following year, URL, Central London, Metropolitan, Great Northern & City and City & South London Railways agreed to create the first all-inclusive card, which would combine their companies' lines. Some of these companies were in a precarious financial situation and so in 1907 they banded together to create a complete system of underground railways under the name "Underground". As Jackson & Croome (1964, p. 132 cited in Merrill, 2013, p. 247) point out, a new map was designed in 1908 to “educate the public about the increasing integration of the network. The map represented the network almost in its entirety.” This map clearly laid the foundation for future designs, introducing color for the first time, but it also suffered from attempts to reproduce the route (making it harder to read than a geometric line) and also distorted the metropolitan line to make way for color. key (Garland, 1994, p. 8). Another company, Waterloo & City, decided not to join the subway, even though its line appeared on several maps between 1908 and 1913. All-inclusive maps made it easier for travelers to navigate rail routes. However, these early maps were designed to be geographically accurate and although it was easier to have multiple routes on a single map, there were issues with clarity, which would get worse as new lines were added. added. Frank Pick was a transportation administrator who spent years working with trains. In 1912 he became commercial director of the London Electric Underground Railway (UERL) and was celebrated as the leading figure responsible for its strong corporate identity. The choice was very interested in design and aimed to introduce a consistent look in advertising and lettering, as he was unhappy with the diversity and endless variety of fonts used in the system. In 1915, he rethought the logo as the heart of a successful corporate identity. In 1915, Pick had employed Johnston to design a newly simplified typeface. Sans Serif illustrates the virtues of modern design. These were refined, efficient qualities that Pick wanted to see imposed on the entire system. The choice was very careful to present the underground system as rational, scientific and efficient in its management. One of the ways he tried to achieve this was through the use of subway station architecture. He chose Charles Holden to design the new extension stations, notably on the Piccadilly and Central lines. Holden's approach was to use a kind of architecture that would be considered rational and modern – a kind of modernismEuropean. He realized, or was instructed, that the stations had to be recognizable as belonging to the same species. If one saw a subway station, it should be recognizable as part of the underground system. new clear font to be applied to all Underground Group buildings, rolling stock and publications. The Johnston font (known as Johnston sans) was first used in 1916 and was so successful that it was used until 1979, when it was slightly reworked and renamed " New Johnston” to keep it up to date and relevant for the modern era. The Johnston font, designed exclusively for the Underground, is a sans-serif font that remains in use today in its elegant, taken-for-granted simplicity – as great designs often are. The success of typefaces was due to their clarity and adaptability (Sinclair 2016). Johnston is also responsible for the rebranding of the London Underground in 1925 when he designed the iconic roundel logo which is still used today. There is very little record of what Londoners initially thought of the symbol. Journalists observed that the new signs were part of a massive metro modernization program and appreciated the consistency and coherence that the roundel brought in its role as the station's signage. (Byrnes) In 1925, Stingemore designed a new map that removed all surface detail in hopes of improving clarity. However, this proved confusing for commuters and in 1932 the River Thames was reinstated into the design as it created a landmark which helped people visualize where they were a little easier. This is the model that Beck then developed into a schematic map, much the same as we use today. Harry Beck was an engineer and subway employee, who tracked our movements. As part of this appointment, Frank Pick, Beck in 1933, designed a schematic plan of the London Underground system that ignored geographical distances and instead featured an elegant geometric structure, consisting of intertwined straight lines and diamonds representing the exchangers. Beck (cited in Garland, 1994, p. 17) explains how he wanted to simplify the map by using straight lines (including diagonals) and evenly spacing stops. This is a deliberate design choice for clarity of vision and presentation of information. For more than 50 years, the London Underground map was geographical, making it difficult for passengers to navigate. This led to the subway losing money because the underground system was too complicated to follow. In 1933, Harry Beck created the first abstract underground map. According to Hadlaw (2003), Beck set aside geographical space in favor of graphic space. This was a real breakthrough and abstract maps have since become recognized for their ability to highlight what is important while removing confusing or irrelevant information. Beck's original subway sketch effectively eliminated all surface detail, leaving only the recognizable geographical feature of the River Thames (Garland, 1994, p. 16). It could be said that Harry Beck changed the way we see the world with his revolutionary design. Dennis (2008, p. 337 cited in Merrill, 2013, p. 248) suggests that Beck's design was influenced by the modernist art movement and helped create a "modernist urban space". Beck (cited in Garland, 1994, p. 17) explains how his project was initially rejected in 1931 because it was deemed "too revolutionary." Another designwas therefore necessary. Garland (1994, pp. 18-19) describes how the second draft (in 1932) was this time open to public scrutiny and how their reaction to the map was positive, noting that Beck was a commuter like them, seeking to earn a living. easier, without commission. He understood that change was necessary and decided to take the initiative. In July 1933, shortly after the launch of Beck's underground plan, the government decided to change the URL to London Transport. This was a public company that would have complete control of public transport in London. London Transport has publicly designated the London Passenger Transport Board (LTPB) to be responsible for decisions made on its behalf (Hornsey, 2012). Garland (1994, p. 22) notes "that the diagram had to adapt almost continually to the growth and development of the system itself." Harry Beck's versions of the card were used until 1960, when Harold Hutchison (LT's advertising manager) thought he would design a new card. It was not popular because clarity was sacrificed, making it look ugly with sharp corners that only confused passengers more. Assistant Secretary and Works Manager of London Transport. Paul. E. Garbutt realized that there was a problem with the map and in 1963 he decided to redraw it. “The problems were largely geometric. You find that you get one corner of the thing right, but you can't get the next corner right. And you have to make some kind of compromise between the sides of the card. And even something like introducing the Jubilee Line means a considerable overhaul of the entire map that I tried to do. Follow as many straight lines as possible. For example, the North Line and the Central Line, crossing the central zone, are straight. I tried in every possible way to make it easily understandable for the passenger. His goal was to correct the design and incorporate the positive elements of Beck and Hutchinson's maps. His design included black rings for interchanges and lowercase text for non-interchange stations while returning to Beck's original style. Garbutt is also responsible for the familiar “bottle” shape of the Circle line. Soon after, Beck worked on a new map design based on Garbutt's. He wanted to improve the design to further incorporate and promote the Victoria line. However, Degani (2013) explains in his article that "London Transport executives were not prepared to receive any input from Beck, because the diagram was based on too much corporate pride." This seemed ridiculous because Beck had brought so much success to the underground and his creations were still the basis of their charts. In 1964, Beck made another attempt to work on his earlier design, but instead based it on a newer version developed by London Transport. This is considered his best and most sophisticated design ever, but once again it was rejected and never publicly revealed. (Garlande, 1994, p60). In 1965, with limited finances and a wife suffering from depression due to prolonged legal disputes with London Transport, Beck gave up the fight. Ironically, more than any improvements undertaken by Pick and his successors, Beck's diagram became the most enduring image not only of the London Underground but of London itself (Hadlaw, 2003, p31). Alan Foale is the current designer of the card based on Beck's design. Beck's map, with its electrical schematic design, is not about geography, but about geometry. This seems to be infinitely flexible. New lines appear, stations.