Did You Know? London Tube map

London’s iconic Tube map was first designed in 1931 by Harry Beck, a former electrical draughtsman for London Underground. His imaginative, clear and simple design is based on the circuit diagrams he produced.

Rather than focusing on distance and geographical accuracy, it strips the complex Tube network down to a neat diagram of intercepting horizontal, vertical and 45-degree diagonal lines in various colours. The map was initially rejected as too radical, but early print-runs in 1933 proved it was exactly what the public needed!
 
Beck’s principle of simplicity became a template for transport maps the world over and with various additions and modifications is set to survive for many years to come!