The history of underground rapid transit began in London. The world’s first metropolitan railway carriage started its journey beneath London City on January 10, 1863.
Just on the first day, 38,000 passengers tested this entirely new mode of transport. They could get off at one of three stations along a six-kilometer route.
The Tube developed rapidly, with an increasing number of passengers and routes, making the intricate network of tunnels even more complex to navigate.
In 1908, the first map illustrating the routes was published and it was at least difficult to understand. The network of connections and stations was overlaid on a city map, with some stations even located outside its boundaries.
Chaos, right? It didn’t get better for several more years.
Eighteen years later, eighteen years full of development and expansion of the Underground, Fred Stingemore concluded that no one cared what was happening on the surface while underground.
He allowed himself a bit of creativity and designed a map with a few key changes:
Firstly, the distances between stations were approximately standardized. After all, none of us worry about traveling 3 kilometers or 4 kilometers as long as we reach the right place at the right time.
Secondly, the routes themselves were arranged to fit as many stations as possible, though not all could be included.
Thirdly, the outline of the city was omitted. In the end, the stations no longer corresponded to their actual locations on the London map.
Incidentally, I greatly admire Mr. Stingemore for being able to think outside the box and abandon cartographic conventions. This is an extraordinary open-mindedness that we should all learn from.
But back to the topic… The real breakthrough came in 1931.
After budget cuts, Henry Beck lost his beloved job as a technical worker in the Tube. You must know that Mr. Beck loved the Underground with all his heart, and when he lost his job, that love did not diminish. It was instead redirected to another aspect of the system's functioning. Beck decided to complete Stingemore’s work and fully organize the map.
Looks more familiar?
Beck, encouraged by friends, brought his project to the management but was turned away. Thankfully, he didn’t give up and returned a year later with a better result. He received £10 for his design, roughly equivalent to £600 today.
In 1933, a test run of 1,000 copies of Beck’s slightly modified map was published.
The test copies were distributed among passengers with a request for feedback, and the reception was so positive that 750,000 copies were sold within a month. Another 100,000 copies were sold later.
The further development of the map involved only cosmetic changes and the addition of new stations.
Henry Beck died on August 18, 1974, after his idea had spread worldwide. Today, all metro system plans globally are based on his idea. No one can imagine a metro map any other way than Beck's vision.
What does this teach us? So far, we’ve delved into the history but haven’t answered the most important question!
What I wanted to emphasize with this lengthy historical introduction is the need for simplification. Whether we talk about speech, writing, or graphics, the most important thing is to convey the message simply and clearly.
On the 50th anniversary of Henry Beck’s death, I want you to remember how important simplicity in communication is, as well as passion and courage. The courage to experiment, simplify, and fight for your ideas.
Paula Szypula
