Mapping Checklist

Commissioning a map can be a complicated undertaking, so this page has been created to outline all that impacts that process. These points, some of which are generic and applicable to any map project, are aimed at visitor and wayfinding mapping in particular. I use the two descriptions fairly loosely as there is fundamentally little difference between the two, except perhaps in scale.

Context: Why do you need the map(s), and/or why do you think a map(s) is the solution? It’s likley to be self-evident, but it’s always helpful to understand the reason(s) and context.
Objective(s): What do you want the map(s) to achieve? Is there a business or other strategic objective(s) to be met beyond the communication requirements? Are you are trying to convey a unique aspect of your business that is unlike that of your competitors? What is that?
Source Material: What data and information do you have that you can supply that would be of use, and what format is this in? Is the data accurate and well-formed? Does it have a spatial component built-in that can be accessed? This is important as there can be additional costs to sourcing third-party reference material and/or carrying out new surveys.
Brand Guidelines: It’s important to know what these are as the mapping should adhere to these guidelines; the use of certain colours, graphic and typographic styles. Other guidance on ‘tone of voice’ and character can be helpful to form a appropriate graphical and typographic language and response so that the mapping is bespoke and unique to your business, and act as a ‘brand ambassador’.
Copyright and Attribution: Complicated but important. All maps are derived from data sources owned by someone or some organisation. All maps are subject to copyright. Unless you can draw a map from memory, without referencing another map source, you will need a licence or other permission. This is a very common mistake made by those who create maps, but have no real knowledge of cartography. You cannot just trace over maps you obtain from online sources such as Google. These are copyrighted. You must find rights-free or open-source references such as can be obtained from the OpenStreetMap project or the Ordnance Survey (UK national mapping agency). You, the client, may have CAD plans, or other licence in place, that allow you to derive other products from map data you hold. All published maps will need a copyright notice and attribution to source material. A cartographer / designer should be able to advise you on this.
Ownership: Aligned with the above, note if the cartographer / designer is maintaining copyright of their work. Normally, they would assign you (the client) the copyright as part of the contract. If not, then legally you will have to gain their permission, even pay a fee, to use the map in other applications beyond what was originally specified in the contract. They may also insist only they can update or amend the map, for a fee. Avoid this situation. It’s not sensible to commission a map where you do not own the rights to that map.
Colour Management: This is a rather complicated but important area of the work. Do not make judgements on colour if you are looking at drafts on a rather dated or uncalibrated device; your screen is unlikely to be showing you the true colour(s). Are you working in a colour-calibrated environment? Sometimes, only colour-calibrated hardcopy proofs provide the most accurate representation of the ﬁnished work for print, unless it is to be represented on screen devices only. It’s important to understand as to summarise simply, screens use an RGB profile and print uses a CMYK profile. The colour you are happy with onscreen can look different when printed. Other colour libraries, such as Pantone and RAL raise further complications. A cartographer/designer should be able to advise you on this, otherwise read this introduction to Colour Management.
Budget: How much do you have to spend? The budget will dictate the approach and what is possible to achieve. This needs to be realistic and needs to be revealed to ensure time is not wasted on a proposal out-of-budget. As a ‘broad brush’ guide, visitor or wayfinding maps can cost anywhere between £2,000–£20,000 dependent on size and complexity. Note that the fee will also include, implied or otherwise, the transfer of copyright / ownership.
Audience: This is a fundamental point. Who is the map(s) aimed at? What type of audience? Think about the typical and/or common characteristics of your audience, but do not assume you know what your audience wants. Try and provide evidence. This will make a fundamental difference to the outcome. Today, many mapping products, especially illustrated maps, appear very child-like and dumbed-down. Appropriate in very limited use cases, but not as year-round guides for an adult audience. Never under-estimate or patronise your audience.
Design: Not to be confused with style. There can be numerous design approaches that will satisfy a brief, and will employ different typographical and graphical styles. Try to consider the project in that respect and not become pre-occupied with your personal aesthetic biases and preferences. A succesful design will both reflect the brand and be deﬁned by its function. Unfortunately, the default assumption with visitor or wayfinding maps is to create a highly illustrative map. These mostly fall well-short of providing the functionality needed and are often justified by false narrative qualities. They also tend to be very child-like, with the whole map appearing to look like a school project. They can have good use cases, such as single event or child-centred activities, but do not assume they are correct for all applications. As mentioned earlier, do not risk patronising your audience and designing to the lowest common denominator. That approach always fails.
The Design Process: This is essentially the same across most design disciplines, though expect variations on this. Broadly, the steps you are likely to find within a proposal include:

Discovery and Understanding
Scope and Alignment
Approach and Methodology
Concept Development
Detailed Design Development
Draft Artwork Production
Artwork Review
Final Artwork and Asset(s) Production
Implementation and Management
Post-project Review.

Revisions: It’s normal to allow for at least one set of author (content) revisions, sometimes two sets, within a price. Revisions beyond this are carried out at an additional hourly rate. Note this is about ‘content’ not design. The cartographer / designer will provide a couple of design pathways earlier in the process.

Reproduction: What will the map be used for, and how will it be used. Printed or digital, for example. Print has several processes, all of which require artwork to be produced in different ways. As such, the reproduction method used can dictate the design approach. Perhaps it is to be used across several mediums. This has to be made clear so the design can allow for this flexibility and provide for a full range of physical and/or digital assets.
Other Applications: What other applications will the map(s) be used for? For instance, the map may be re-purposed for different events, activities or themes. Perhaps elements of the map (e.g., pictograms and illustrations) may be needed for other collateral material. The design and artwork construction should allow for this.
Other Stakeholders: Are there any other stakeholders who will have a view or interest in the map(s). Often this is the case when there are multiple funding sources. This can extend the timescales significantly as it is far more complicated managing and balancing multiple views and inputs. Inevitably, one party of more may need to compromise on requirements, or alternatively, perhaps take the lead on decisions.
Management and Maintenance: Consider how the map(s) will be managed and maintained after the project is finished. Will updates by handled in-house, or will you go back to the cartographer / designer for those? If so, how often will this happen, or need to happen?
Timescales: When do you need it by? Be realistic here; rush jobs will always be a fact of life but rarely result in the best outcome. Allow time for proper review and feedback. In general, assume overall timescales of between 2–16 weeks depending upon the complexity of the job.

Wayfinding

Last but not least!A successful wayfinding strategy will improve people’s perception, understanding and experience of place; it shapes and enhances their cognitive map. As has become a bit of cliché, it’s not just about signs. Their must be a systemic and unified approach. Wayfinding maps, or those with an expressed wayfinding function, tend to be concerned with large sites and destinations, whereas a visitor map may simply be catering for a single small event. That said, they are effectively the same thing. As such, there are several principles that are important to consider, including:

User-focused – Tailoring the content and delivery of information to match specific audience requirements will help to ensure the visitor experience is a positive one.
Whole Journey – For visitors, their journey doesn’t start at the entrance to the attraction, it includes the pre-journey research and planning. What experience, good and bad, do they have finding out how to get to your location, navigating their way in and what to expect on arrival.
Legibility – This applies to all touchpoints, whether digital, print, physical or environmental. The non-visual cues can include landmarks and surface treatments. Is the required message, action or direction clear and unequivocal? It’s about creating an experience that all visitors can read and understand, enabling them to make well-informed choices and decisions that enhance their experience.
Placemaking – Visitor perception, understanding and experience of place plays a vital role in communicating the destination/site values and personality, enhanced by delivery of tailored and place-specific design solutions.
Accessibility and Inclusivity – Somewhat self-explanatory, but so often ignored. Despite legislation, vey little is done to assist the experience of those less able-bodied. Even when destinations, for reasons beyond their control, cannot cater for all everywhere, there is little done to explain this, describe environmental constraints, and provide options that promote inclusivity. At best, a token one-page text document is all that is provided. A map is a great opportunity to show this.
Progressive Disclosure – A wayfinding classic! Provide the right information at the right time; don’t over-burden the visitor or leave them wanting more at any point on their journey. You need an effective information strategy and information hierarchy to achieve this.
Connectedness – Join the dots. Don’t leave gaps in your experience. Demonstrate the mental and physical links between features, landmarks and experiences. Enable the visitor to navigate and plot their own journey and experience, or even those you have curated. Often this means ensuring that you understand the decision points (nodes) in your offer.
Spatial Analysis – Understand and build a picture of function, movement, attractors and legibility. You cannot build a map without fully understanding the functional structure, spatial legibility and permeability.
Information Architecture – This is a constructed layer, or overlay, that we transpose on to the environment and experience and interact with through a variety of channels—digital, print, physical and human—services as well as products. The map is that layer.
Consistency – This ties everything together, ensuring your message or narrative is consistently communicated across all media and at all touchpoints; points of experience and of interaction with brand. it ensures a unified and systemic approach.

Whilst there is a degree of generality about the principles discussed above, and more relevant to a wider wayfinding project, per se, they usefully inform the design and production of a successful visitor map. As with other wayfinding tools, a map helps visitors to read, understand and experience the destination/site. It helps inform their decisions in moving around and exploring, and thus learn and engage with the ‘offer’. Give your audience the opportunity to learn and make an informed choices. And, if nothing else, I hope that this page has provided food for thought!

Any cartographer / designer should be able advise you on any of the points raised here, and prepare a proposal that addresses them, but if you’d like to discuss any of these points further in relation to a project you have, get in touch with Jason.