ILLUSTRATED MAPS

LVB specializes in developing geospatially-informed illustrated maps that highlight the features and stories of the unique places and natural resources you work to protect.

Map Themes

LVB’s illustrated mapping niche is focused on the environmental sector, such as ecological habitat maps, nature preserve and park maps, watershed and river maps, forest and fireshed maps, illustrated field guide and reference maps, and even imaginary map scenes.

Clients

LVB provides illustrated maps for conservation organizations and land trusts, nature preserves and outdoor learning centers, environmental researchers and climate scientists, watershed groups and friends groups, and municipal, county, and regional parks.

Map Design Services

Illustrated mapping and cartography tasks may include: research, GIS basemapping, image curation, map analysis, illustrative sketches, vector icons, hand-drawn and digital rendering, graphic design formatting, writing, copy-editing, proofing, and final art packaging.

Illustrated Storytelling Maps

Illustrated storytelling maps focus on the spatial features you choose to highlight. Extract the most relevant geographical information that supports your messaging. Share a map that is geospatially accurate, friendly, and engaging. Add extra dimension and meaning to your place-based storytelling. Bring your map to life!

Welcome Signage graphic for LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in Kane County, IL. Signage elements include a custom Illustrated trail map, legend, preserve rules, places of interest and visitor information designed for a 3 foot by 2 foot vertical kiosk display.

Watershed and Fireshed Maps

Watersheds and firesheds are organizing units for our work in the environmental sector, from mitigating flooding to creating wildfire resilience. Make a map that communicates your strategies, issues, and desired future conditions to create awareness and inspire action in your program or study area.

Nature Preserve and Park Maps

Provide clear, visually-compelling, and informative maps to welcome and orient visitors to your park, nature preserve, or trails system. Illustrate the different habitats and terrain, and provide wayfinding for trails, landmarks and recreational features. Present an enticing peek into what visitor’s can see, do, and discover within, and guidelines for how to safely explore your site.

Water Resources Map Illustration

Protecting our natural resources—groundwater, springs and rivers—depends on our ability to communicate the big picture. Illustrated maps reveal patterns and show relationships between natural resources, physical features, and cultural or economic landuse patterns. Communicate water resource challenges in a compelling and approachable format with illustrated maps.

Illustrated and diagrammatic map of the groundwater spring system that feeds the largest ground-fed swimming pool...in the desert of West Texas.

Reference Maps and Keymaps

LVB combines geographic basemaps and spatial data from GIS with graphic design software to provide clean and clear reference maps for your study area. Reference and keymaps support public outreach in conference visual aids, printed brochures, and web media.

Key map and area map of NPCA's study study for potential dam along the Mississippi River within the Mississippi National River & Recreation Area in Minnesota's Twin Cities.

Vector-based Illustrated Maps

Create a cohesive map design for your family of parks and preserves that match your organization’s brand and voice. Vector-based illustrated maps simplify the landscape into basic shapes and essential way-finding information. Vector art is scalable for multiple use formats such as web, print brochures, foldable maps, and trailhead signage.

Stylized illustrated map of Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve in Lake Forest, IL.

Imaginary Map lllustration

Imaginary maps are artistic renditions of an invented geographical scene. Clients have challenged LVB to illustrate historical city plans for watershed education board games, and birds-eye map scenes to support watershed planning visualization and natural hazard risk assessment planning. What is your creative challenge? LVB is willing to illustrate what you can imagine!

Engage and inform your audience with approachable and compelling illustrated maps.

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Browse Projects Portfolio

TESTIMONIALS

Erik Joost, Watershed Manager

City of Oconomowoc

Lauren’s artistic abilities in combination with her graphic design intuition, were the most crucial component for our project development. We hired Lauren to create our illustrated map and interpretive signs for our interactive watershed tour. The product she created was beyond what we could have imagined. She became familiar with our region and our project like it was her own. We will be using LVBrown Studio again!

Jeff Crosby, Executive Director

Colorado River Land Trust, Dripping Springs, Texas

We hired Lauren during our organizational rebranding efforts to create visual products representing our conservation values across a diverse stretch of the state of Texas. Not only was the completed project visually stunning, but throughout the project, Lauren provided invaluable insight and depictions of the land and water resources we work to protect.

Barb McKittrick, Environmental Education Manager

Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Geneva, IL

Lauren developed a visually stunning, spatially accurate welcome sign/trail map for the 450-acre preserve that, for the first time in the site’s history, tied together all of its natural and cultural features. After a long search for a design agency that could combine in-depth knowledge of ecologic principles with expertise in interpretive sign development, our Forest Preserve District was so lucky to find LVBrown Studio for our signage project.

Hill Country Alliance, Staff

Hill Country Alliance, Dripping Springs, Texas

We’ve worked with LVBrown Studio on a number of projects, and she has done an incredible job in helping us tell our story of conservation in the Texas Hill Country! Whether it’s through a beautiful interpretive map of the region or graphic illustrations depicting land management practices, she has created excellent resources for our organization.