assignment 2 - design direction

Why are we making this map?
Visitors to Delft, not acquainted with the city, they will need a map to find their way around the city centre. They will find one map with directions on a LCD-screen (6 x 8 meter) outside the train station.


How are we going to make it?

The map will be informative

• It will give visitors an overview of the city centre and the relative size of the centre (to understand the distances between different places).
• It will indicate main attractions (and also the landmarks, to help visitors navigate in the city).
• It will give a clear pedestrian route around which they can find some museums and shops of the city.

The map will be influential

• One version of the map will motivate visitors to take the clockwise and the other the counter-clockwise way on the route.

This can be done with use of 3D elements and specific arrangement of landmarks and signs on the map ( see post on brainstorming )


The map, also large in size, will be impressive

• It will combine realism with cartoonist elements.
• It will have 3D elements, to extrude volumes on the map and make the route to stand out.
• The signs of museum and shop will be designed for this specific map.
• It will not be indicative of a specific era. It will not favour old or new Delft.

All of these points we will take into account during the design process of the final version.

assignment 2 - brainstorm

During the brainstorming process we focus mostly on the icons that indicate museums and shops. Some of the ideas are shown below.

1. icons stand out by gradually increasing size

2. icons stand out by color (saturation for instance)

3. a person (maybe a tourist) standing with a map and facing the right direction

4. 3D effect: by occlusion and size gradient

5. 3D effect: by occlusion with other objects

6. 3D effect: by degree of contrast

7. small branches leading to the icon (as tree branches)

8. icons with doors that facing the right direction

9. a magnifying glass which points the attention to a certain location

10. making the map at the back more clear at the area that has to be chosen

11. making one side of the map brighter and colourful

12. marking the starting point and making the line end before the starting point. Altough this idea is using the route line, which is not allowed according to the assignment, we want to show the different possibilities.

13. using the route line again, by making it broad at the starting point and gradually decreasing towards the end.

14. using bigger icons and text on the side that has to be chosen

15. another way of making people choose a direction is showing positive things on one side and negative on the other. This is of course not realistic, but a fun idea to show.

16. 3D icons are angled in perspective facing the right direction, doors are also placed at the side that faces the right direction, shadows can be manipulated as well.

assignment 2 - inspiration

This post will be filled with all kinds of inspirational material.

Efteling (Dutch amusement park)

Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings)

Six Flags California (Notice the difference with the Dutch Six Flags map below)

Six Flags Holland

BBC 3D weather forecast

Architectural model

Milwaukee Art Museum. Notice that they use a compass to indicate the North. The orientation of the plans should have the same orientation as the viewer.

We have to match the map to the mood of the project. The map of the "ten chimneys" is realistic. Still, our mood is realistic and neutral.

In any case, what we are making is a You-Are-Here map. Well,maybe not with neon light...

Dorfplan Uttenheim

I love the idea that in Winter Delft is under the clouds and the map is a birds-eye view above the clouds. The sunlight can also direct the visitor to the better lit areas.

Various graphical styles for different maps.

assignment 2

'Design two versions of a pedestrian map of the centre of Delft in such a way, that it influences the behaviour of the users.'

In short, this is our second assignment we will work on for the coming weeks. Delft has a lot of museums and a nice shopping area in its center. When walking to the center of Delft from the railway station, the main options are to go straight or go left. The shopping area is on the straight path whereas the museams can be found more on the left path. Our job is to make two versions of one poster which influences the user into taking either the shopping route or the museum route.

a sunny day

assignment 1 - color

Natalia Chuvashova

assignment 1 - visual narrative

Sofia Ntoulou