Stanford Student Enterprises sells a print version of the Stanford and Palo Alto Map for visitors. I redesigned the decade-old map from scratch to feel more intuitive, cleaner and vibrant.
The print version of the Stanford Map had kept the same overall design for over a decade. Therefore, the first goal was to update the foldable map's design to reflect a more modern aesthetic . Additionally, while looking over the previous map, I realized that it did not have a legend for the various symbols on the map (Parking Lots, Notable Sites etc.). Since this greatly affected the readability of the map for a new visitor touring the campus, I decided that I also had to incorporate a Map Legend in the redesign.
One of the main problems with updating the map's design was that a lot of things had to remain the same and could not change (advertisements, the actual geographical map itself etc.). As a result, it was a bit tricky to 'update' a product that you couldn't really tweak too much. My main concern was with the busy and plain nature of the map, and how it showcased a clearly mid-2000s look. To seek inspiration, I searched for possible print map designs online. However, most search results either had similar designs to the old map or were irrelevant. Broadening my search to queries like creative symbols and encapsulations, I stumbled upon the ensō - a circular Japanese symbol that symbolizes elegance and minimalism. Inspired by the simplicity of the symbol and its ability to create a scroll-like representation of the map, I placed the Stanford map in a clean circular container with curved containers on either side for the Map Legend and Landmarks. Furthermore, I chose a slightly playful font to go along with the ensō-inspired circular aesthetic.
Calm Red
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Bright Red
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Peach
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While the previous map was plain white, I wanted to update the map to a have a red palette inline with Stanford's overall red theme. For the background, I went for a flat, dull shade of red, so that the background wouldn't detract too much attention away from the items in the foreground (map, advertisements). For the sidebar menus (Legend, Attractions etc.), I decided to go for a brighter red for the title and an almost-peach shade for the body.
Redesign projects always pose an interesting challenge in that you have to show a marked evolution without doing something too drastic and unnatural. In trying to solve this dilemma for the Map, I was surprised to have found the answer in a Japanese symbol I discovered on Pinterest. Guess inspiration really can come from anywhere!