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Speaking on Map Design: Online

There are currently twelve interviews, dicussions and talks online, all linked to by the most direct route from here. There is an additional nice interview that has been taken down, and so I’ve hosted my own video-grab. Total duration is over 2 hours 45 minutes, so don’t try them all in one go!


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Max Roberts Alternative Tube Maps

Interview by Geoff Marshall
Filmed: 14th Oct 2010; duration: 3:03

Held at my first London exhibition in the foyer of Scott Brownrigg at Covent Garden.


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Underground Maps:
Design Challenges and Challenging Designs

Talk at Ignite London #4
Filmed: 8th Feb 2011; duration: 6:36

Strictly five minutes, 20 slides, 15 seconds per slide. The hard part isn’t overrunning a slide, it’s underrunning! My grungiest venue ever.


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Mind the map: London Underground turns 150

Interview by Graham Satchell as part of a feature
for BBC Breakfast
Filmed: 9th Jan 2013; broadcast 11th Jan; duration: 3:16

The Underground is 150 years old, but is the 80 year
old Underground map coping with the strain?


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London’s Famous Underground Map
Remains as Iconic as Ever

Interview by Iain Lee as part of a feature
for BBC Inside Out London
Filmed: 23rd Jan 2013; broadcast 4th Feb; duration: 6:36

A lovely afternoon in the Design Museum discussing bad maps. Nice production team to work with.


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Underground Maps Unravelled

Talk at TEDx, University of Sussex
Filmed: 27th March 2013; duration: 16:46

With an entire professional career as a university lecturer, nothing is more intimidating than the requirement to speak with minimal slides and no notes!


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Bostonians Vote On New Subway Map

Interview by Rachel Martin for NPR Weekend Edition
Taped: 20th Sept 2013; broadcast: 22nd Sept; duration: 3:37

MBTA decides to choose the next subway map by asking the public to vote for their favourite. What could possibly go wrong with that? Transcript is here.


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Why Redesign the London Tube Map?

Interview by Reece Lipman for the 1000 Londoners project
Filmed: 12th Jan 2015; duration: 3:09

I am #91; a Londoner born and (mostly) bred, but now living near the beautiful North Essex coast. The web page is here.


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New 2015 Tube Map

Interview by Geoff Marshall as part of a feature for Londonist
Filmed: 10th Feb 2015; duration: 5:19

Musings on how overcrowded the tube map has become, and how to deal with the problem.


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Max Roberts Hertekent Metroplan:
‘Mijn Specialiteit is Problemen Oplossen’

Interview by Frank Hoornaert for TVBrussels
Filmed and broadcast: 27th Feb 2015; duration: 2:15

My Brussels Circles map goes viral, and this is one of the results, filmed at Bourse Metro Station.


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Can Science Untangle our Transit Maps?

Discussion with Ruth Rosenholtz, hosted by Ira Flatow,
for NPR Science Friday
Broadcast live: 20th Nov 2015; duration: 22:51

A great discussion with a fellow researcher into the effects of map design on usability. Commentary, images and transcript are here.


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Round in Circles and Back Again: Simplicity, Coherence,
and the Need for Evidence-Based Design

Talk at Typo Berlin
Filmed: 14th May 2016; duration: 40:02

A clear message for designers, hopefully not distracted by the presence of weird soft toys. Blog page summary is here.


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The Challenges of Mapping Metros

Discussion with Peter Lloyd, hosted by Nicole Badstuber,
for London Reconnections
Taped: 20th June 2016; duration: 69:06

A wide-ranging debate about the design and future of transit maps. Web page for the podcast is here.


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The Joy of Maps

Interview by Graham Satchell as part of a feature
for BBC Breakfast
Filmed: 31st Oct 2016; broadcast 3rd Nov; duration: 3:21

A trip to the British Library to talk about Henry Beck’s original presentation sketch.


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Putting Crossrail On The Tube Map

Interview by Geoff Marshall
Filmed: 7th Feb 2018; duration: 14:11

Geoff Marshall visits Tube Map Central HQ at Walton-on-the-Naze for afternoon tea and Crossrail mapping.