MUTI - Destination Canada / The Guardian
South African creative studio MUTI has designed a set of maps in collaboration with Destination canada and The Guardian to promote tourism and knowledge of what Canada's major cities have to offer. The maps centre around cities such as Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Muti's sleek and modern design style was perfect for bringing vibrancy and life to the city maps of Canada.
The idea behind the maps was a collaborative effort between The Guardian and Destination Canada. The elements of each unique illustration were inspired with the help of john Quilter, a food blogger who dedicated months to travelling across Canada, eating, sight seeing, and blogging. There are 7 maps in total, each aiming to promote Canada's tourism and give people a snapshot of what it would be like to visit some of their major cities. The maps highlight places of interest, activities, and restaurants.
We had a chat with MUTI, here's what they had to say!
How did you decide to approach this specific job?
A starting point was the stylistic approach to the two main map elements: characters and buildings. We kept the illustrations geometric, simplified and stylised yet still recognisable. The characters have more of an organic shape and movement to them, making the piece as a whole more relatable and dynamic.
Can you elaborate on your choice of colour palette?
The client requested a bright and fun colour palette, which we maintained throughout. We wanted the maps to feel vibrant and exciting to look at. We took a natural approach to land and sea - areas that were largely city were kept in a neutral grey, whilst trees were kept in a lush green. We find working with a limited palette helps join all the elements and pieces together. As there were several maps in the series, creating a level of consistency was very important.
Having several maps to illustrate in the same style and same colour palette can be quite challenging.
Any other general thoughts on the project?
Having several maps to illustrate in the same style and same colour palette can be quite challenging. We started by creating elements that could be carried across all maps, but found a way to add humour and interest os that each map could be able to stand alone as unique piece.
The high quality maps will be published weekly in the Guardian's weekend supplements. All 7 colourful illustrations will be paired with detailed itineraries of what can be done in a day in each city. Be sure to check them out each weekend and get inspired to plan your next vacation!
