Markshall Signage

Previously, generations of map designs before were hand-drawn, or painted and meticulously illustrated, but Markshall required something more flexible for the long-term.

Scalability was also an important factor to consider, to ensure the quality of the map wasn’t compromised when scaled-up for way-finding signs. Using vector graphics allowed for scalability without loss of quality. This made it easier to make any refinements when working closely with Markshall.

One of the key challenges for us, was to cater for predefined colours for each zone, which were used on pre-existing plaques to identify plants and trees.

Due to the range of colours and their hues, it was impossible for us to use them as blocks of colour. Therefore, it was important for us to find a way to easily identify and highlight zones using these colours, without compromising visibility or legibility.

Showing a small version of a coloured map in the key, helped to visualise the zone areas. Coupled with colour coding POIs (points of interest) offered a more understated approach than our initial ideas, but flexibility is key to working on an evolving landscape, and we were delighted with the end result.

As well as creating custom icons for the various types of trees, we also made some bespoke POI (point of interest) icons, based on an established style, and suggesting either a theme, object or animal related to a specific environment. The final map is printed on the back of a trifold leaflet, allowing visitors to easily take them around the estate.

Once the map was finalised, we created a set of signs, catering to each zone. The scalability of the graphics allowed us to zoom into areas, to help show the visitor their place on the land.