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Boston Redesigned

Contests are a terrible way to do design. For a designer its work you will likely never get paid for, but it also takes out the whole iterative process working with the client to discussing their needs, researching customers problems and needs, exploring and refining multiple concepts, testing, etc. The map is just one element of a much bigger wayfinding system of signs, messaging and announcements. These considerations get lost when the decision gets turned over to a public vote.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) held a contest to redesign the subway map. This time the contest lead to a real winner of a map by Mikheil Kvrivishvili,

“Kvrivishvili’s map includes new features that provide customers with more information and more appealing aesthetics, including all surface Green Line stations shown, all SL2 stops shown, an area of the map showing the connections between the Silver Line and the downtown subway stations—enlarged to make it easier for customers to understand how the various Silver Line routes operate—and color-coordinated labels for all of the rapid transit lines.”

Where the old T map and some of the other contestants tried to maintain some level of geographic accuracy, Kvirishviki went for a diagrammatic look that simplifies and straightens out the lines on 45 degree grid. Especially for the Green Line that break with geography provides room to label every surface stops. Evenly spacing them further improves legibility and without the geography complicating things it becomes easier to see where the Green Line branches split ways.

Kvrivishvili’s version isn’t the final map redesign, however. Officials said in a statement Monday that with “many more” stations in the pipeline, more modifications to the map will be made, such as the addition of the first phase of the Green Line Extension.

“We are entering an exciting period of growth and change in our system and I’m pleased that we were able to work with the public to help usher in some exciting new developments,” said MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott. “As we continue to grow and improve our system, the new map will be a great symbol of the changes and updates were working on as a whole.”

Construction has already begun on the Green Line’s northern extension with two branches of its own. The map also makes it clear the Red and Blue lines don’t connect as well as making it easier to see the Orange and Green lines bridge the gap. The is a planned Blue Line extension that would extend the line 1,500 feet to meet the the Red Lines at the Charles/MGH station.

Once touched up, the new map will begin rolling out next year as station maps need replacing.