From hiking, paddling and birdwatching, to camping, fishing and boating, our Hillsborough County Conservation Parks are your home for outdoor recreation.

For many years, Hillsborough County Conservation & Environmental Lands Management used satellite maps to showcase park activities, hiking paths, and shelter locations. Although the maps worked, the satellite images don’t take into consideration landscape changes due growth of vegetation or weather changes. Park visits have increased, and the portability of the brochures play a great role in providing visitors with interpretive, logistical, and safety information. The brochures are also something that visitors can take with them as a souvenir and handy home reference.

First, we reduced the amount of copy describing the activities. That allowed us to slim down the brochures and make them more cost-effective, while keeping all the useful information that a visitor might need. We decided to create a graphic look for the maps with an isometric view. That helps the audience focus more on the experience of the park in a simple, friendly way. It also has a better visual appeal and allows for easier map updates in case there are any changes by the parks’ staff.

We also wanted to update the brochures with new images, again focusing on the experience. Through this process, we asked, “What will the visitor want to see in the park? What makes these parks specials?” Especially now that social media have become an important part of our lives, people are looking for different experiences to share with their social circles.

The brochures match the identity and signage of the park system, further enhancing Hillsborough County’s parks branding. The colors and activity icons on the brochure cover match the parks’ signage. The shield with the park name on the front match the park rangers’ badges. All these are small visual clues that enhance the experience and create a more cohesive branding approach.

Most importantly visitors in our parks are loving the new simplified designs. Some of our visitors embedded our maps on their wedding invitations, to direct guests inside the park!!!

Before and after map design