Harry Beck created the worldwide standard on diagrammatic mapping, and he did it by being the most persistent annoyance in the history of the London Underground. Plus, some Italian guy named Massimo Vignelli made one of the prettiest maps ever, and New York roundly rejected it.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/DepartureBoard

Helpful sources:
“Transit Maps of the World” by Mark Ovenden
“What Your Design Looks Like To Peripheral Vision”, Ruth Rosenholtz: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1836248.1836264
Design Culture's 2013 interview with Massimo Vignelli