As a part of a placement with Studiose, which is based in Plymouth, I was asked to redesign the map leaflet for Dartmoor Zoological Park; the map is used to guide guests around the zoo for an effortless, yet exciting experience.
Dartmoor zoo isn’t your normal zoo, it has a much more wild feel to it, the setting is beautiful, especially when all of the flowers are blooming. I wanted to capture this wild aspect within the design.
I designed the leaflet so its fun and appealing to children, reflecting Dartmoor Zoo’s wild side, at the same time as being easy to follow and engaging for adults too.
To add some subtle humour, I wanted to play on the fact that the lynx ran away in 2016 (don’t worry they found it!). So, instead of having the lynx where it should be on the map, I put foot prints in its place, and placed the lynx in the bottom corner saying ‘find me on social media’.
The amazing thing about Dartmoor Zoo is that it not only does it do a lot for animal conservation, but a huge part of the zoo is working towards supporting mental health and well-being.
Dartmoor Zoo are strong believers in the beneficial effects that being outside can have on mental health and well-being, and they are keen to support people on their personal journeys, be it to recovery, back to work, or simply to just feel better than they used to.
They work with referrals from charities and organisations as well as individuals who would like to incorporate the outdoors into their recovery programmes.
This aspect really resinated with me as I am very passionate about supporting mental health.
SEE BELOW FOR A BEFORE AND AFTER
I also got the opportunity to work on another map, this time, for the Barrow Centre.
The barrow centre is a unique, independent shopping and activities centre, comprising of artisan gift shops, galleries, outdoor adventure activities and the Stables Cafe. It is located in the heart of Mount Edgcumbe country park in Cornwall.
The issue that The Barrow Centre was having was that, because it was hidden away, people would often miss it by mistake. Also, even once people had entered The Barrow Centre, they didn’t always realise how far the shops went around the back pathways and would accidentally avoid some of the ones at the back!
They wanted me to create a map that would lead the pedestrians around each shop, ensuring that nothing was missed. The numbered key leads people on a journey throughout the centre.
The maps were used on the leaflets, and as sign posts that surround the centre to help people navigate and find their way towards it. Below is an image of the map in use!