Map of Operations

The Map of Operations is an internal posting at the Canadian Blood Services, posted to nearly 5,000 employees across the country.

sketchbook planning the organization of the map, and the design of the legend icons
and image of the old map, which is unreadable for many reasons. one of which is that there is thin black text over a red textured background.

Spot of bother

The existing Map of Operations didn’t only need a visual update, there were also readability issues. The colour and texture used on the original map made it hard to read the 6pt. condensed typeface used across it.

The previous working file was unusable. To make sure anyone could update the map as needed—while maintaining continuity—I needed to organize my files in a comprehensive way.

First and foremost the updated map needed to be legible and attractive. Employees need to be drawn to a topic that might otherwise seem mundane.

designer's workspace
a closer view of the map legend, custom icons make it much more legible
show the designer's workspace, well organized and labelled.

Custom and concise

I discovered there were several cities illustrated on the map that had more than one collection site. The existing legend did not show the differences, making it impossible to differentiate the facilities in specific cities.

I used symbols for each of the legend icons. This way, you can edit each icon in the document with a single action. I also used an organized layer structure and colour palette, so anyone can make adjustments with ease.

All legend icons needed to be identifiable even at small sizes.

operations map with special Canada 150 graphics of popular Canadiana. Illustrations of things like orca whales, a totem pole, the parliament buildings, and of course a beaver
the operations map with canadiana illustrations, all attached to their own layer for easy visability toggling

A special year

This map was designed during Canada’s 150 celebrations. To add a little something special, I illustrated several elements of Canadiana across the map. These can all be easily hidden when Canada’s 150 celebrations come to a close.