MAPS ARE ONE OF THE MOST BASIC DATA VISUALIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE; we've been making them for millennia. But we still haven't perfected them as a tool for understanding complex systems—and with 26 lines and 468 stations across five boroughs, the New York City subway system certainly is complex. The KickMap™ is the result of my quest to design a more effective subway map, and ultimately to encourage increased ridership.