A couple years ago while I was in my final year of undergrad I had the opportunity to go to New York for the first time, knowing very little about the city other than seeing things on TV and on the internet I was ecstatic at the thought of finally being able to see the city in action, from just the general layout of the island to with all its streets and avenues to the subway system. Through the entire trip I was designated as the navigator for the class, as I seemed to be the only one whose phone battery wasn’t constantly dying. I was using Apple Maps nonstop to find our destinations, whether it be to the design agencies we planned to visit or just general sightseeing or restaurants to find lunch at. I was surprised by how up to date the app was with details about train timing, how long it would take to get to the next stop, or if there was any delay happening. Being excited but a bit apprehensive I was a bit afraid that we would be taking the wrong train to get to our destination, but the app is so well designed that it tells you exactly which line to get on and which stop to get off of, and even if you need to switch trains, and the estimated time it should take to get you there. Now having an estimated time for a car trip is one thing, but for a subway system I feel that’s way more important in terms of timing, simply because of the nature of how the entire system runs. Below are just a couple examples of a day visiting a couple design places and ending in Times Square.

Taking the train to visit The Studio.

Leaving The Studio to visit Cooper Union to check out the Herb Lubalin collection.

Ending the day by visiting Times Square for the first time.

All I can say is that i’m glad we’re at that place in the future where I don’t have to unfold a paper map to try to find my destination, or research a train schedule before planning a trip, I can just pop right out the door, open Apple Maps and find my way to wherever i’m going.