On Wednesday, the MTA unveiled a brand new subway map. It's clean, it's sexy, it harkens to a hot, short-lived, Italian-designed map from the '70s that was way ahead of its time. The lines are straight and thicc and pop with primary colors. You can clearly see how many subway lines there are, and where they take you. Staring at it felt satisfying in a way I never experienced with the old map, which we've had a version of since 1979. Maybe it's because the new, hot map reminds me of sour candy belts, or the simplicity of eight-bit video games. Maybe this is just what it feels like to look at good design.
This new hot map is already being displayed on digital monitors, and will be posted in subway cars and platforms over the next several weeks.
The "old" map—the one being suddenly pushed into retirement—certainly doesn't elicit the same immediate reaction. It's beige, it's cluttered. The subway lines are thin and spider across the page with unnecessary geographical accuracy, competing with a selection of streets, parks, and cultural institutions. But it also has a certain je ne sais quoi, a familiar comfort.
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