Update: My design teacher called my inspo from public transit maps 'uninspired' but I disagree.

I think transit maps are great for learning how to organize info with clean lines and bright colors. Most of my class says they're boring and only good for wayfinding, not real design work. Do you see value in looking at everyday stuff like maps for fresh ideas, or is it just copying?

2 comments

2 Comments

jackson.tyler9h ago

Look, your teacher is dead wrong on this one. As a guy who puts up fences all day, I see clean design in the simple lines of a good cedar panel. Transit maps are brilliant for that exact reason. They take a huge messy system and make it easy to get. Borrowing that idea isn't copying, it's smart. Hell, I straight up use metro map layouts sometimes to plan out fence lines for big properties. Good design hides in plain sight, and people miss it because they think it has to be fancy.

abbycraig3h ago

London Tube map is the perfect example. You got it right @jackson.tyler, good design just works.