10 minutes that'll ruin every other subway map for you forever.
The Map is a short documentary about a revolutionary redesign of New York City's iconic subway map. Filmmaker Gary Hustwit documents the process as digital agency Work & Co creates a new "live map" — one that updates in real-time — to help New Yorkers and tourists better plan their journeys. The film examines the evolution of wayfinding and user interfaces, and shows how good design and the latest digital technology can simplify one of the world's most complex transit systems. Featuring Felipe Memoria, Rachel Haot, Sarah Meyer, Joshua Gee, Marcela Abbade, Karina Sirqueira, Robert Penner, and Mohan Ramaswamy.
Direction
Hustwit makes transit planning genuinely cinematic.
Production
Crisp visuals that honor the design process itself.
Director
Gary Hustwit
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gary Hustwit's entire filmography is basically 'why design matters'—this is his tightest argument yet at just 10 minutes.
The original 1972 Massimo Vignelli diagram this replaces was itself a controversial redesign—New Yorkers have been fighting about subway maps for 50+ years.
US
