Illustrated Campus Map of Northwestern University

by Nate Padavick

Client

Northwestern University, Medill School
Evanston, Illinois

Art Director

Sara Brazeal, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

Creative Brief

Northwestern University commissioned Nate Padavick to create an illustrated map of photo-worthy (Instagram-able) spots around the campus.

Project Goals

The goal of this map was to inspire visitors to explore the campus. By featuring many of the most noteworthy and picturesque buildings, gardens, and viewpoints of this historic university on Chicago’s south side, visitors are encouraged to document their experience with photographs—and maybe even post a few on their social media feeds!

Project Realization

This map was printed on letter-sized paper and given to all attendees of Northwestern’s graduation ceremony in June.

Creative Process

This project consisted of three phases: planning, sketching, and illustrating. The planning phase mostly consisted of determining the appropriate number of featured sites to include by taking into consideration the print size and the viewer’s capacity to engage. The sketching phase consisted of two sketches—one rough pencil sketch and one wireframe sketch (shown above). The illustration phase was smooth and quick, thanks to the client’s preparation and fast-turnaround time for feedback.

Materials

This map was created in Adobe Illustrator by Nate Padavick, using vector brushes and his hand-drawn font Tallboy. AI was not used in the creation of this illustration.

Testimonial

It was a pleasure working with Nate on a recent project. He helped arrive at a perfect solution—an illustrated map that is fun, informative, and inspirational! Additionally, Nate was efficient and easy to work with—qualities I value.
~Sara Brazeal