“Mapping the World by Heart” Information Design
Brief: “Choose a “landscape” which you know intimately. Consider all aspects of the
environment you choose: textures, smells, colours, sounds, tastes even. You are to create a portfolio
of images which document the location you have chosen. Consider the set of images as having a
sense of narrative; in what order should the images be seen and what does this help you say about
your location?”
I chose a place named Abbot’s Wood near my home in the South Lakes, which I visited frequently
as I was growing up and I hold many fond memories of. After visiting my location and collecting
first hand source material, I chose to illustrate various locations in the wood through the mindset
and perspective of a child. In order for my illustrations to tell a story I showed the timescale of a
day in the woods from morning to night and how the atmosphere progressively changes from good to bad....
The project evolved from studies to quirky sketches to storybook style illustrations with type incorporated using techniques I'd learned in typography lessons. It was a fun experimental project and along the way I was inspired by a handful of artists as well as quirky movies and video games.
