map crit
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- blastofv
alright, I need some help with this map I'm designing for a trail system around a lake in Metrowest Boston. It's in its preliminary stages, and I have several layers of info to add on, but I was hoping for some feedback on colors, contrast, and general clarity of the elements that are on there now:
thanks!
- Crouwel0
i think it can be done much better.
put more contrast to the lines; thickness, color, background...
look at some of the best maps in the world, like Lndn Underground etc..
- stewart0
well, it looks like a good start.
and i like the way you added the trees.add visual references, abstract maps look good but don't work very well.
- blastofv0
thanks guys – yeah the contrast is my biggest concern... line weight should be OK at actual size, which will be at least 30 inches wide, but I'll have to test that at 100% of course.
there will be quite a bit as for informational/visual reference points to come
anybody else?
- blastofv0
OK, darker (original) vs. lighter:
The most important bit is the main trail map, and how it relates to the shoreline of the lake... if that looks reasonably presented, I can move on to the info bit...
Also, any links to map/info design would be great. I've found some stuff, but nothing with a great gallery (beyond major city transit maps anyway)
thx.
- ldww0
you should use different kinds of lines for roads and rail. they all look the same. rails could be dotted or with slashes
- blastofv0
thanks ldww, you're totally right
- fooler0
not sure if the average joe will understand the abstact N. S. (North South cardinal directions)
- Point50
I like it.
- xenicon0
why should water be blue? Its the only thing I see clearly that and the red main trail.
why should secondary trails be different than the main? I'd make thm all red.
- studderine0
I see where you are going with the map. Info design is quite difficult sometimes, my favorite maps are usually in the airports. I can only imagine how much work goes into those. I do like the map, but it may need some more detail.
- studderine0
would it be possible to outline the roads and railways with something that looks similar to a road or a railway? the main trail and the secondary trail could stay the same that change was made. just a thought. good work though my friend.
- joyride0
I like most of it. I mostly have issues with the trees. at least that's what i'm guessing they are. Everything else is solid colour vectors and the trees have this texture feel. maybe just green like the baseball fields? or some other symbol for trees
- blastofv0
cool, thanks all –
the secondary trails are really very secondary, and the town would rather people stick to the main path, so I've been making the main trail far more bold... might have to stick with that, but I'll see about using one color at various thicknesses.
People come for the lake just as much as they come for the trails, so I felt a need to bo bold with that color as well.
This is all new to me, so I'm trying to focus on what's important and then minimize the rest of it (which is very hard)
I'll post another comp once I've added a few layers of info. Thanks for the feedback!
- knows_nothing0
but wouldn't saying "lake" id the shape better than the color which leeches attention from the narrow trail lines?
- effort0
I agree that a clearer way to differentiate trails from roads/rails is needed.
Another thing I noticed that the baseball diamonds in the lower right are smaller than the one in the upper right. If the map is drawn to scale, as they distance marker would indicate, it seems they shoulud be the same size -- unless, the lower ones are in fact smaller.
- blastofv0
good point on the heavy blue with the lake... I'll see what sort of other options I can come up with. I kind of agree that it's too heavy.
RE baseball diamonds, the upper is a pro-sized diamond, and the cluster on the bottom are little-league sized. it's all to scale – very good observation though.
- garett_west0
Not bad blastofv. I would like to see a bit more differentiation between roads and the railroad though. Took me a while to figure out which was which.
Nice start though.
- version30
have you contemplated re orienting it so that north is up not 17 degrees to the left?
just a question, may be a requirement
- blastofv0
the rotation of the North/South axis was more of a layout decision, as I have a pre-determined space that this will be placed into... by angling it a bit I can get a larger actual map into the horizontal space
I might take the N/S off entirely though, as few people using the trails will really care