Is there no limit to the number of tube map variants?
Here's TfL's latest, a 'circular' tube map.
It prioritises the Circle line whose traditional loop has been manipulated into a perfect circle, but it distorts the hell out of all the other tube lines. Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus are on opposite sides of the central roundel, for example, so the Bakerloo line is positively warped. It's not a map you'd use to plan a journey. The designer's clearly had a lot of fun and done a pretty good job given the awkward constraints, but he didn't have to include the Overground, DLR, Crossrail or the trams which must have helped a lot.
It is, obviously, a sponsored tube map because TfL wouldn't bother with a major redesign unless a multinational was paying. The sponsor is a phone company I won't be mentioning (indeed I've photoshopped all their branding out of today's photos just to annoy their marketing department). They've just released a new model with a new feature involving circles, hence this artificial map and a somewhat contrived advertising campaign alongside. I swear I have not made this employee's name up.
Emma Strain, Customer Director at Transport for London (TfL) said: “We’re delighted to partner with Redacted on this exciting reimagining of our iconic map for the first time in 90 years. Partnerships like this help us and brands engage with hundreds of thousands of people who pass through our stations every day.”
The 'first time in 90 years' quote sounds well dodgy, but apparently "this is the first time TfL has produced an official map for its network that differs from the Beck design". TfL increasingly hero-worship commercial brands, but it's still nauseating to see them describe a paid-for temporary two-week takeover map as 'official'.
I found this map reproduced in multiple formats at Blackfriars, one of the five Circle line stations getting a circular makeover. They've plastered the map around the circular vent in the ticket hall, added further maps on the landing beyond the gateline and even replaced two of the framed tube maps on the platforms. The makeover at King's Cross is even more in-yer-face, dominating escalators, concourse and platforms well away from the Circle line.
TfL have clearly learnt lessons from their recent Bond Street renaming debacle.
"While some maps on platforms will be changed to this limited-edition design, there will still be traditional Harry Beck maps available in the station and in-train announcements, announcements within the stations and staff on platforms will continue to help customers should they require it."
Most of this pre-emptive strike is irrelevant because nobody's attempting to rename the station this time, but the bit about still having original maps 'in the station' is weaselly. At Blackfriars, for example, the eastbound platform no longer displays a traditional Harry Beck map because it's been covered over by this impractical circular advert. On the westbound platform one remains.
The phone company in question flashed up a press release on their newsfeed yesterday afternoon which specifically mentioned a 31st January launch date. And yet peculiarly none of the usual media channels have run with it, despite it being an actual circular tube map, perhaps because there's an embargo or perhaps because they're just not interested.
Whatever, expect to see this quirky diagram on your tube journey over the next two weeks, not because it's useful but because someone's trying to flog you a new phone and TfL need the money.
