Maps for 'The World'
Client: Orion Publishing | May-July 2022 | Adobe Illustrator
This pair of colourful maps were designed for the endpapers of the historian Simon Sebag Montefiore's new book on human history The World: A Family History (Orion Books, 2022). Their style, colour scheme and decoration were designed to match the multicoloured, geometric patterns of the book's cover. Both maps use the same identical projection and composition, with differing details. The first highlights the seven continents and the patterns of early human migration from Africa across the rest of the globe up to c.14,000 years ago, while the second is a political map of the world that labels every country and major territory as of 2022.
The first map in full, showing the seven continents and the patterns of early human migration.
The second map in full, showing all the nation states and territories of the world as of 2022.
The cover design by Orion Publishing, which uses colourful geometric patterns inspired by various world cultures. My maps were designed to match this aesthetic.
Details of the human migration map
Details of the political world map
The small size of the spread (286 x 214 mm) presented a challenge when placing labels in parts of the world where there are many small countries and territories, such as Europe. The smallest countries are labelled with numbers that corresponding to the index at the bottom left corner.
Long-standing disputed territories, such as Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, are coloured using a hatching pattern.
Autonomous and overseas territories are labelled in italic text.
Detail of the enlargement of the Caribbean islands at the bottom left corner.
Detail of the extension eastwards of the Pacific island nations, which did not fit into the composition of the main map.