From Tourist Boards to Trails: How One Map Design Can Work Across Multiple Visitor Materials - a Clevedon special

Illustrated maps can play a powerful role in helping people explore and understand a place. Whether used in a town centre, heritage site or nature reserve, a well-designed map can guide visitors, highlight key attractions and encourage people to discover more.

One of the projects that really demonstrated this approach was my illustrated map for Clevedon, which was originally created to appear on a series of visitor information boards around the town.
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What started as a single commission quickly became a design that could be used across a wide range of materials.

​The Original Map Commission

The Clevedon map was designed to help visitors orient themselves and explore the town more easily. The aim was to create something that was both clear and visually engaging, combining accurate information with illustrated landmarks and features.

The map highlights key locations such as the seafront, parks, shops and visitor attractions, making it easy for people to understand the layout of the town at a glance.
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It was initially created for large outdoor “You Are Here” boards, positioned in key locations so visitors could quickly find their bearings and discover places nearby.

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​Extending the Map Across Multiple Materials

One of the biggest advantages of an illustrated map is that it can easily be adapted for many different uses. Once the core design exists, it can be scaled, cropped or simplified to suit different formats.

For the Clevedon project, the map was used in several ways.

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​Tourist Information Boards

The most visible application was on the large visitor boards installed around the town. These help people orient themselves and identify nearby attractions, walking routes and facilities. Because the map uses clear icons and illustrated landmarks, visitors can quickly understand where they are and what there is to explore nearby.

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Printed Leaflets

The same map was also adapted into printed visitor leaflets. These allow visitors to take a copy with them as they walk around the town.

​Using the same visual style ensures that the leaflet feels instantly recognisable and consistent with the visitor boards.

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​Walking Routes and Trails

Maps are also extremely useful for guided walking routes and heritage trails.
Sections of the Clevedon map were adapted to highlight particular routes and areas of interest, helping visitors follow a path while learning more about the town along the way.

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​History and Interpretation Boards

Another important part of the Clevedon project was the creation of a series of history and interpretation boards installed across the town.

These boards were designed to tell the story of Clevedon — highlighting key locations, historical moments and points of interest in a way that is both accessible and visually engaging for visitors.

A small section of the illustrated map was incorporated into each board to help provide context, showing visitors exactly where they were in relation to the wider town. This helped connect each individual story back to the bigger picture, making it easier for people to explore further.
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Each board combined clear, informative text with illustration and layout design, creating something that works for a wide audience — from casual visitors to those wanting to learn more about the town’s heritage.

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​Website and Digital Use

Illustrated maps also work very well online. The Clevedon map could easily be used on websites, visitor guides or social media to help people plan their visit before they arrive.

​Digital versions allow visitors to explore a destination in advance and get a sense of the places they might like to visit.

See how my maps work online

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​Activity Sheets and Educational Materials

Another great use for illustrated maps is family activity sheets and educational resources.
Simplified versions of a map can help children explore a place through activities such as treasure hunts, wildlife spotting or heritage trails.

​This approach makes maps both informative and engaging for younger audiences.

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​Why This Approach Works So Well

Designing a map that can be used across multiple formats offers several advantages.

• It provides consistent visual identity across visitor materials
• It makes navigation easier for visitors
• It allows councils and organisations to use the same design in many ways
• It can support both tourism and education initiatives

For organisations working with limited budgets, this flexibility is especially valuable because one well-designed map can support many different projects over time.

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​Maps for Towns, Heritage Sites and Visitor Destinations

Illustrated maps can be used in a wide range of places, including:

• town centres
• heritage sites
• parks and nature reserves
• museums and visitor attractions
• festivals and events

They help visitors feel confident exploring a place and encourage them to discover more of what it has to offer.

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Interested in an Illustrated Map?

If you’re planning a visitor project and think an illustrated map could help people explore your destination, I’d love to hear about it.

​Looking for an illustrated map for your town or visitor destination? Get in touch here.

Drop me an email with your ideas!