Metro navigation infographics as a collaborative project between designer and passengers

The subject of this research is collaborative metro map design: models in which the designer relies on the professional canon and on data regarding passenger perception. The object of study is metro navigation infographics, primarily the line diagram as the main graphic design product of a transit system. The study aims to identify which principles of the global metro map canon retain justification when applied to Cyrillic typography and domestic networks. A comparative analysis of 31 global metro maps across 30 parameters was conducted. A passenger survey tested four key map parameters: letter case of labels, interchange representation, line geometry, and geographical background. Results were verified through an expert survey of specialists in graphic design and cartography. The theoretical foundation was shaped by the concept of the city image by Kevin Lynch and the sign typology by Charles Sanders Peirce. The design canon of metro maps was compared with the experience of domestic passengers for the first time. The study demonstrated that universal design norms are only partially applicable to Cyrillic maps. Straight lines and geographical landmarks are supported by passenger choices, whereas single contoured transfers and mixed case labels failed to gain confirmation. Differences in case perception are explained by the characteristics of Cyrillic graphics, where word silhouettes exhibit lower contrast. This dictates a solution based on toponym length, favoring uppercase for short names and mixed case for long ones. Divergence in interchange design is described as an opposition between iconic and indexical semiotic strategies: capsules are justified only at two line intersections, connector bars at nodes with three or more lines. A readability deficit in secondary map layers was also recorded, stemming from their partial absence in domestic practice, alongside a shift in navigational load from the map to station signboards.