London Underground has launched its first dedicated website, www.thetube.com, designed by its in-house team in conjunction with London digital media consultancy Precedent.
Aimed at the Tube’s 3m daily passengers, the site provides up-to-date information on services and enables customers to plot travel routes across the capital.
The design concepts were initially developed by the in-house team at London Underground, led by external design consultant Tony Allison of Allison Associates. Precedent was briefed to bring them to life and turn the high information content into an accessible website.
“London Underground has a clear understanding of its brand, so we were charged with creating a ‘no-frills’, basic site that delivers information quickly to the general public,” says Precedent head of design Beverley Brennan.
The look of the home page is based on Harry Beck’s 1933 London Underground map and its interlocking lines, says London Underground communications project manager Rupert Brennan-Brown. “We made a conscious decision to create only a ‘feel’ for the Tube map on-line – we didn’t want to overwhelm and confuse visitors, particularly tourists, to the site,” he says.
Thetube.com has seven clear entry points on its home page, including customer service and travel information, which is updated every five minutes. The journey planner allows visitors to type in their postcode and discover the fastest and most cost-effective route.
“London Underground must be focused on the needs of its customers,” adds Brennan-Brown. “The site allows people to contact customer services directly, and we are aiming for a four-day turnaround on complaints rather than the usual 21 days.”
The site has links to the Transport for London site, which features other forms of transport in London, and ticket-on-line, which enables people to buy travelcards. It launches this week.
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