top of page

1-2-3

Creative Map

Not all maps are meant to be accurate—some are meant to be fun. Vintage travel maps used bold colours, playful perspective, and front-facing landmarks to guide visitors through imaginative spaces. In this project, you’ll design a creative map that blends top-down landscapes with front-facing buildings and landmarks, creating a world that feels both navigable and full of personality.

​

Your Mission is to design a creative illustrated map. You will follow a structured design process: generating multiple design options, rolling a die to make key creative choices, and then building a cohesive map based on those outcomes.

carCityRug.jpg

​Project Goals 

  • Practice using a clear design process to guide creative decision-making

  • Combine top-down and front-facing perspectives in a single composition

  • Create visual consistency across environment, architecture, and landmarks

  • Develop problem-solving skills by working within randomly assigned constraints

Level 1

Pick and Do 2 Exercises:

A

Motif Practice

Learn how to create, repeat, and refine simple visuals.

​

Skills Built:​

  • Simplifying complex ideas into strong visuals.

  • Maintaining a cohesive style across multiple design elements.

  • Understanding how to combine repeating elements into patterns.

B

Elements & Principles of Design

Practice mindfully using the EoD's.

​​

​​Skills Built:

  • Thinking like a Designer

  • Composition

  • Drawing Tablet Practice

C

Line Control Practice

Develop your hand-eye co-ordination using a drawing tablet.

​​

​​​

Skills Built:

  • Photoshop know-how

  • Drawing Tablet Practice

D

Colour Theory

Learn about the relationships between colours.

​​​​

​

Skills Built:​

  • Thinking like a Designer

  • Composition

  • ​How to Blend Colours in Photoshop​

    Each exercise should ONLY take 1-3 classes to complete.    

LVL1 CHECKPOINT

AFTER completing BOTH exercises,
but BEFORE moving on:​
​

1) Name your files correctly:

  • Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level-WhichOneYouPicked​

    • ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-CardDesign-1-AMotif

  • Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.

  • Use hyphens in image or file names --- no spaces.

    • Even though Windows and Mac computers allow spaces, the web is built on systems that do not handle spaces well. When a file name has a space, web browsers often change it to %20, which can cause broken links or make files not load correctly.

    • Using hyphens (-) instead of spaces helps your files work properly online.

​

2) Do the level 1 reflection

  • Download the template.

  • Move it to your Media Design folder in your OneDrive.

  • RENAME IT

    • Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level

    • ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-1

  • Answer the questions. You can focus on one exercise or answer for both.

​

3) Hand in all 3 files

Click here.

Level 2

​BEFORE YOU BEGIN

​1) GET the level 2 DESIGN BOOKLET

  • Download the template.

  • Move it to your Media Design folder in your OneDrive.

  • RENAME IT

    • Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level

    • ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-2

    • Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.

​

2) Choose your level 2 assignment (below)​

​​

3) Start the booklet before starting your assignment

  • Answer the questions in the following sections:

    1. The Assignment-ID and timeline questions.

    2. KNOW WHAT YOU’RE PRACTICING​

    3. FEEDBACK

    4. PLAN YOUR APPROACH

​

4) do your assignment​

Pick and Do 1 Assignment:

A

Symbolic Icon Challenge

Design symbols with meaning.​​​​​

​​​​

​

Focus On:

  • symbolism

  • visual language and storytelling

  • creating a set that belongs together

​​​​​​​​

​

Choose this if you like designing symbols with meaning and want your map's legend to clearly communicate ideas.

B

"Flat Landscape" Travel Poster

Create a stylized environment

​​

​

focus on:

  • reducing details to essentials

  • strong composition and color contrast

  • conveying place and mood with simplicity

​​​​​​

Choose this if you enjoy clean, graphic design and want to practice making powerful images with less.

C

Building Style Challenge

Experiment with how different styles changes meaning.

​

focus on:

  • front-facing building drawing

  • changing architectural details

  • showing mood through style

​​

​

Choose this if you want to practice adapting designs for different themes and settings.

LVL2 CHECKPOINT

AFTER completing your assignment,
but BEFORE moving on:​
​

1) Name your file(s) correctly:

  • Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level-WhichOneYouPicked​

    • ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-2-CTextureStudy

  • Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.

​

2) FINISH the level 2 reflection​

  • aka the last section in the Design Booklet.

​

3) Hand in BOTH (2) files

Click here.

Level 3

The Project

It's time to play! For this project, you will create a map. Maps offer a balance between aesthetics and information. They can share secrets only found through observation, help ground you in a space, and can make the world feel alive.

 

Your task is to create a map, including illustrations of key landmarks. You will play a game of chance to help you make the creative decisions needed to build your world. 

​

Your goal is to enjoy the process, as much as the end-product.

​

This project is adapted from Andrew Kolb's course. He's a Canadian Illustrator and is awesome.

​

​

​​​​​​BEFORE YOU BEGIN

​1) GET the level 3 DESIGN BOOKLET

  • Download the template.

  • Move it to your Media Design folder in your OneDrive.

  • RENAME IT

    • Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level

    • ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-ActionFigure-3​

​

​2) fill out the booklet as you do the project.

Click Here for the Project Guide

& Instructions​

​

The password is on the wall.

​

Trust the process.

​​

This project brings together everything you practiced in Levels 1 and 2:
you've got this!​​​

LVL3 CHECKPOINT

AFTER completing your project:​
​

1) Name your file(s) correctly:

  • Firstname-Lastname-CycleNumber-Project-Level

    • ex) Laura-Ulrich-1-CardDesign-3

  • Failure to follow this naming protocol will lead to a missing mark.

​

2) FINISH the level 3 reflection​

  • aka the last section in the Design Booklet.

​

3) Hand in BOTH (2) files

Click here.

​

4) Return to the Media Design page and repeat the 1-2-3 cycle with a new project!​​

​

© 2023-present by Laura Ulrich. Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page