“The subway rider should be given only information at the point of decision,” proclaimed the designers. “Never before. Never after.”
Back in 1970, Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda were commissioned to design a set of guidelines, the Graphics Standards Manual, to help people navigate New York’s mass transit system, and the result was a stunningly precise and simple explanation of what iconography, typography, colours and content could be used. So iconic was the design*, it’s now in the MoMA collection.
The guidelines themselves had been virtually lost, until a copy was found a couple of years ago and posted online. Now, there’s a new Kickstarter campaign, where the book will be reissued for 30 days only for those wanting their own physical replica of the book.
If you’d like to know more about the creation, loss and rediscovery of the guide, this article has more: Uncovering the First, Fascinating Rulebook for Subway Sign Design – CityLab
*Although it’s clearly not as wonderful as Harry Beck’s Tube map