Saw this on a road trip. What were they thinking designing this?!

I THINK THAT THE NEW MTA SUBWAY MAP IS A WIN FOR NEW YORK.

Yesterday, the MTA revealed its first complete subway map redesign in nearly 50 years. This new version combines two very different design styles: Massimo Vignelli’s 1972 modernist, abstract map and Michael Hertz’s more realistic 1979 map that replaced it. The result is something New York hasn't had in a long time—a map that's both beautiful and easier to use.

Let's go back a bit.

The 1972 Vignelli map was a bold vision for what a subway map could be—CLEAN, MINIMAL, and designed with a clear graphic logic. It got rid of the noise and reimagined the subway as a system of lines and connections, rather than actual locations. For designers, it was a landmark piece of work. But for the average rider, the abstracted layout made navigation tricky. The map prioritized STRUCTURAL CLARITY over REAL-WORLD ACCURACY. And so Central Park became a square. The distances didn't match the streets above. It was a beautiful system, but wasn’t always practical for getting from A to B.

In 1979, the MTA switched to Michael Hertz’s version. This map followed the layout of the city more closely, helping people better connect what they saw on the map with what they saw outside. And it worked—I grew up with this map. It was FUNCTIONAL and FAMILIAR, but over time, it got crowded. More lines. More stations. More noise. The system kept evolving, but the map didn't evolve with it.

THE 2025 REDESIGN CHANGES THAT.

It keeps the usability of the Hertz map while bringing back the CLARITY, COLOR, and CONFIDENCE of Vignelli’s design. Bold lines. Brighter, more distinct colors. Simpler transfers. Station names you can actually read from across the platform. And crucially—ADA-accessible stations are now clearly marked, not buried in the details. That alone makes a huge difference for so many riders.

This update isn't about looking backward. It's about moving forward.

A subway map is not just a poster, it's a tool that people rely on every single day. And the old version, while familiar, wasn't doing the job anymore. For decades, the MTA had to layer patches and band-aids onto an outdated system. This redesign finally breaks free of that approach and says: LET’S DO THIS RIGHT.

Not everyone will love it at first. That's how change works. People often prefer what they’re used to—even if what they’re used to doesn’t work well.

But good design solves problems. And this redesign solves several.

It honors the past without being stuck in it. It puts USABILITY FIRST. And it works for EVERYONE—not just locals, but tourists, seniors, people with disabilities, and anyone trying to make sense of the city.

To me, that's what public design is all about: making life easier, clearer, and more accessible for everyone involved.

The map won't fix everything, but it's a solid step in the right direction. And more importantly—it shows how that smart, human-centered design can still make a real difference.

This is design done right.

See my full post here: https://jonathanlin.xyz/

When you get a vector logo from an organization with a caption on the pasteboard saying FONTS OUTLINED, but they neglected to outline the fonts in the caption. 😵‍💫

Sorry for the rant but I’m tired of all these messages from young people saying they quit freelancing or their graphic design studies because “AI can generate images.” So what?

You think a marketing or brand director is gonna fire their graphic designer and start creating visual campaigns themselves by prompting an AI? Then what, he sends his “ready to print” files (300dpi, with bleeds and all that shite) to the printer, who replies “Sorry, this isn’t even CMYK…”? Or probably the AI will generate the 100 banners in 10 formats the e-commerce team need for their affiliation campaign.

And now developers don’t even need to talk to UI designers anymore. They build faster with AI, so of course, they’ll just prompt the design themselves too.

Wait, never mind. Developers are gone too because AI took their jobs.

So I guess it’s just one CEO now, prompting all day.

Stop the nonsense. Maybe you're just looking for an excuse to give up or be lazy. And for those who are ready to get sh*t done, good for them, less competition.

A client sent me a label that is 6.25”x2.25”. They don’t want me to change anything, they just want it printed as on 6.25”x3.25”. They do not want the background to be bigger and obviously don’t want distortion.

This is obviously an impossible ask. The customer does not understand the issue even with visual examples.

I feel like a large majority of the projects I work on are with clients that couldn’t spell their own name. Is this the day in the life?

Hey guys, I’m not a graphic designer but a musician. I make very minimal cover art design for myself like this one because I don’t like thinking much about that side of things. I wanted to have a cool gradient vibe with the purple fading into the black since I usually just use full black and this is a special release. I hate however the way you can see each tone/layer of purple in this really pixely sort of way. Is that just inevitable since I’m using such simple colors, or did I do something wrong exporting and is there a way for it to look smoother?

Thanks in advance!

Genuinely wondering here, I'm working on a personal project to put in my portfolio - this is originally not chosen by my group so might as well work on it alone. It's a THC-infused drink and I know you're supposed to have the THC label with all the stuff by law.

Question stands, how do I present the flat wraps for the can label in a portfolio? Should I keep the labels, just keep it the wrap... both maybe just to show where things would theoretically go? Any help as well as work criticism is appreciated!

(second slide is how the label is supposed to look like, just for fun and all)

Hi everyone, I’m currently working with Canva, Figma, and Procreate (for illustrations) and am also experimenting with CapCut for video editing. While I’m making progress, I feel like I could really level up my skills, especially when it comes to more advanced design and editing techniques.

I’d love to hear any advice or recommendations you might have!

I’m interested in anything from: - Courses or tutorials - YouTube channels or other resources - Suggestions for other programs or tools I should consider learning

Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

Hello all! (If this post isn't allowed, moderators are welcome to inform me about it and remove the post if need be)
Me and my classmate are currently working on our thesis, as a part of our bachelor's degree.
We want to reach out to this community with a handful of questions related to the use of AI in design.
We would like for those who are interested to answer the questions, and maybe even discuss them further between each other.

With that said, we are of course aware of ethical questions, and will not ask anyone for any personal information. The answers that we will collect will not be shared with anyone who isn't in immediate contact with our thesis work. The collected information will simply be used in our thesis, alongside other method results.

If you have any questions or concerns, I'll be happy to answer them!
We thank you in advance!

The questions are:

1. What contribution has AI made to a designer's everyday life?
2. Does everyone understand the meaning of using AI in their work, and do they know how it is used?
3. How can AI, what it is and what it does for a designer, be explained in an easy way for someone who doesn't have any deeper knowledge about it?
4. Is there a way to use the language phenomenon of metaphors to explain what AI is and therefore make it easier to understand?

the end of the rainbow

I work within a creative studio as a mid-level designer. We have a few clients, and the most recent one was signed with us late last year.

One of the things we do is have the client/ point of contact submit a project intake form. Our other clients do this just fine, but this new one just refuses to do it. They usually do it informally by emailing myself directly for example, or going to our Document Advisor, who also won’t use the form, and just sends us an email with vague details and so much time is wasted going back and forth via email that the timeline to get a proof out gets shorter. The worst part is that this advisor has now got us, the creatives, blocked from reaching out to the clients directly— which makes it even harder to get the specs and have that collaboration between designers and the client.

Anywho, I’ve been thinking of ways to effectively ask the questions that we need answered from the get-go when we get new submissions. I am wondering what your tips or standards are when obtaining new project specs/ summaries/ briefs?

Hi everyone

Quick question here, I expect to graduate in a month or two and am considering making use of the adobe student membership for one year paid upfront. However, I expect to lose access to my student email after graduating, how do I go about this? Can you add more emails to your account or do I have to contact support immediately after signing up to switch emails? Thanks 😅

Hello! I'm a recent graduate in graphic design and I’m looking for feedback on my portfolio. I love designing brand identities, so most of my portfolio is focused on that.

As a junior designer, I know I probably won’t jump straight into full branding projects, so I’ve also tried to include both digital and print design to demonstrate my typography and layout skills.

I’ve translated the project texts into English for this review, but I’ll be switching them back to Finnish later, since I’ll be applying for jobs in Finland. The About page is still in progress so I’ve hidden it for now.

I’d really appreciate any feedback on the projects. Thank you in advance!

Portfolio

Seriously…

It goes against the sub’s rule 6, No repeated posts. It gets posted every single day, multiple times a day.

I am working as a freelancer in this Game Studio. They told me to create a logo according to the name. The company didn't had a story, Ideation as well as a brief for their logo so they gave me the whole creative freedom with a deadline of 24hr. I did this logo without any grid or rules & aligned things optically. Designers I need your opinions for any kind of improvement.

Hey everyone! 👋

I just updated my Behance portfolio with some of my recent work, and I’d love to hear what you think. Whether it’s design, layout, concept, or anything else — your feedback and thoughts would mean a lot and help me grow as a designer. 🙌

Also, if you like what you see, feel free to drop an appreciation — it really motivates me to keep creating! 💙

Check it out here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/218774529/Portfolio

A person reached out to me vía linkedin for a job offer and we had a meeting.

I thought the position was for a graphic designer (as that's what I market myself as on Linkedin) but turns out it's for a (Jr.) Art Director at an agency.

I explained to him that most of my experience has been as an in-house designer, and that I don't have experience in art direction or at agencies (I'm lowkey scared of that work environment). He said that that wasn't a problem, as they were okay with a junior.

He asked for my expected salary and said he'd sent out my info to the hiring manager and would reach out to me soon.

Now, impostor syndrome aside, being realistic I don't think I'm qualified for that type of job— not only experience wise but I feel like an AD has to be very extroverted and knowledgeable in things like photography, video, mentorship, etc, which I'm not. I googled the company and they seem to be legit, they are a small agency.

Assuming they want to hire me and oay what I requested, I don't want to be stupid and decline a good opportunity, but I personally don't want to end up in a horrible job or fired because I can't perform.

Any thoughts?

Hi here is my recent resume. I’m currently searching for both freelance jobs for the mean time as well as full time jobs in graphic design. I specifically love branding design and hope to get a job in a design agency in Chicago. I took out some of the personal info in the contact info in the right top corner as well. Any feedback in terms of design, effectiveness, etc, is much appreciated thank you.