Making Maps More Marvelous

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Almost every website we build includes some type of map component. Whether it’s a complex branch locator, or just a single pin marking your head office location, there’s bound to be a map. Google maps is incredibly capable for giving the features we need for any of these situations, but out-of-the-box Google maps always looks the same! We’ve crafted our clients’ map location to suit the brand identity, icons and colours that are unique in communicating the company’s essence. Why do your maps have to look like everyone else’s?

The boring default Google Maps colour scheme

We’ve put together some examples, using the fantastic Snazzy Maps service, of how a brand can tweak the visual appearance of their maps to fit with their brand identity. These maps use all of the full-featured richness of Google Maps, with a themed layer that can be customized with any colours, allowing for layers to be added or removed based on preferences.

Here’s an example of the map we use on our own website. Matching the monochromatic theme and pulling the grey background colour to use in the water layer, it reflects the theme of our brand and makes our customized octopus pin icon stand out!
Fernie & Co is a real estate company that relies on maps to show the locations of many properties. We’ve created a map theme that strays from the ordinary but still fits well with their brand.
We helped the Interactive Advertising Bureau with their website, this is how their maps could look with their futuristic brand identity.

A website is bound to have some sort of map component. With the powers afforded to us with Google Maps and Snazzy Maps, we have no reason to leave these components in the default look and feel! Maps can be as unique and marvelous as brands are.