Branding and Cartography

Branding is a strategic and valuable part of marketing for any organization - and visually branding graphics with a specific, set range of color choices and typefaces is an important part of any branding strategy. However, these defined colors are often not ideal for most map visualizations.The past three years, I’ve spent a lot of time defining and implementing what I think is ideal for the branding of map aesthetics for two organizations, and as such, I will share what I have learned and spread the word about BREAKING THE RULES when it comes to maps.

Transcript

1. BRANDING & CARTOGRAPHY Vanessa Knoppke-Wetzel, @run_for_funner
2. OVERVIEW •Why? •Brand color schemes and graphics •vs branding for maps •Familiarization •“Base” map •Brand within your brand
6. STRICT RULES
17. https://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-fast-food-restaurants-state-foursquare-mcdonalds-burgers-2016-12
18. https://www.infobae.com/2014/10/03/1599396-el-mapa-del-dia-los-paises-que-no-tienen-mcdonalds/
19. Branding Rules • Most brand’s main colors are highly contrasted – to POP! For recognition! • Whether complementary or analogous, the colors work well adjacent to each other
28. BREAK THE RULES
29. Why? • Make underlying data LEGIBLE + • Allow for the possibility of more data layers + = a “well designed” map
31. FAMILIARIZATION
33. Familiarization • Features/data layers? • Map reader/use needs? • Organizational needs? • Future needs?
34. “BASE” MAP
39. COLOR RULES (break them)
40. Your Brand’s Colors? • Use them to bring important features to can the fore: • In points, lines, and polygons • Via poly-transparencies • Via patterns • ……
42. Your Brand’s Colors? • Use them where you can but also…. break the rules when you have to
44. Break the Rules… P II • You will focus on what to bring to the fore via your brand’s colors, but also focus on what to bring to the background via your brand’s colors, where you can • Sometimes this means using variants of your brand’s colors – a little more black, a little less black, a little more cyan, a little more yellow….
45. PERCEPTUAL COGNITION
47. Break the Rules… P II • Also use colors that are complementary and analogous to your brand’s colors • (or… your brand’s variations in color, that you found testing/playing around with your perceptual cognition)
49. Break the Rules… P II • Keep track of these “variant” colors! • Write them down, put them in an excel style sheet, use your eyedropper tool constantly… but remember them.
50. Break the Rules… P III (?) • Congrats you’ve just broken all the rules but you’ve also added to your rules, so your broken rules are…. new rules??!?!
51. But seriously, keeping track of stuff that works = continued stylesheet for your map brand
52. TYPEFACE
53. Rules • Only one available? • Bold italic CAPS CAPS BOLD CAPS ITALIC BOLD • Kerning • B o l d I t a l I c C A P S C A P S B O L D C A P S I T A L I C B O L D (lol) • Leading…. • Color HAS p o w e r
54. BRAND WITHIN BRAND
58. Break the Rules… P III (?) • Congrats you’ve just broken all the rules but you’ve also added to your rules, so your broken rules are…. new rules??!?!
63. Stylistic Elements • Combining enough elements of your brand with color + typeface + a few other elements = a general consistency across the brand • (+ the way you use terrain? + the way you dash lines? + the linewidth color you choose? + the dropshadows you utilize?.... Possibilities are endless!)
65. Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist” - Pablo Picasso
73. BREAK THE RULES @run_for_funner vknoppkewetz@uwalumni.com