For this weeks’ blog post, we had to read excerpts from 79 Short Essays on Design by Michael Beirut. Although they ranged to everything from hating Garamond font to Plagairism, I enjoyed the discussion about the New York City subway map. The project started with the NY subway sign system, who Bob Noorda and Massimo Vignelli were assigned to design. They created a very simple design for a very complex system, and even accidently created one of the staples of the signs, the black bar above the sign. This was sent to the manufacturer as a sample bracket that would hold it, but they assumed it was part of the design. It worked out. Four years later, Vingelli designed a map for the train system. It was beautifully crafted and designed in its simplicity; however, it took liberties with geography for the sake design. This resulted in a shorter shelf life, but it wasn’t for lack of design. I have discovered that I am a fan of simple, elegant design, so I am particularly partial to designs like Vignelli’s map. As a finishing note, in another chapter, they discuss how to become famous as a designer. They encourage you to design constantly. Also, they say you only need to design three great things a year to be a famous designer. I’m still waiting on that call.