The making of the Moscow Transport guide

At first we suggest to create a staple-bound brochure that would have the width of a passport and fit in the back trouser pocket. Since the format is so small, it would accommodate either the map or its description on one side, which is inconvenient.

The typesetter suggests we don’t bind the brochure but rather fold it. It’s better but still not easy enough to use: when unfolded, the leaflet comes out too long. Deciding to use the traditional solution for maps and cheap guidebooks: one large foldable sheet with information on both sides. It takes us a couple of iterations to achieve the perfect dimensions—a square with 420 mm (16″) sides—and the way to fold it. Deciding to use paper for offset printing since it’s lighter and cheaper.

Collecting the information about airports, rail terminals, taxis, night and active day routes of ground transport within Sadovoye Koltso (the Garden Ring). The designer draws the “night” and “garden” ground transportation maps. Typesetting the Metro map with a list of stations, adding advice to install mobile apps that would be helpful to a tourist. Preparing an insert on landmarks. Coming up with a cover in five minutes and taking the mock-up to the Department of Transportation for the first presentation.

Writing comments, making edits and updates, translating the text into other languages, making more corrections and talking to the client. After the New Year holidays many studio employees bring the typesetter stacks of tourist guides, maps, booklets and leaflets about local transit systems that they brought from their vacations. The typesetter has to find a box to store it all systematically. Work prints of the guide are put together in the same way.

The printout at the bottom of the stack is the first color proof from the print shop.

Together with designing the print edition, we create the version of the guide for mobile devices adding all the comments and updates as we go. When Moscow ground transport updates its visual identity in September, we update the mock-up of the mobile version to bring it closer to the new style, though keeping the studio typefaces.