The Art of Mapping

Like most guys, Nate Sievers is fascinated by tools. The more practical or functional the gadget, the more it intrigues him. Yet there is another side to Sievers that appreciates the aesthetic. The graphic designer in him longs to marry form with function. Add to that his passion for outdoor sports, and you can begin to see why Sievers was the perfect candidate to spearhead CCI's most ambitious project to date: the Minnesota Atlas.

When Sievers closes his eyes at night, he sees each of the 87 counties in Minnesota imprinted on the back of his eyelids. He can tell you without hesitation which cities, lakes and wildlife management areas are where. And without batting a lash, he can recite the names of every golf course in our glorious state. That's because Sievers has poured himself into the atlas-leading the CCI team in creating, cleaning and proofing every detail. The atlas is as much a reflection of himself as any other artist's creation is of its creator.

At first glance, the atlas appears so clean and simple that you might miss the fact that thousands of hours went into its design. From developing a whole new set of standards using only two colors, down to the design of the smallest icon, every element of the atlas was painstakingly considered by Sievers. And for good reason: the atlas is his baby, his artistic expression of the perfect balance between form and function, the ultimate tool.

Sievers is after all, a designer first and foremost. Did he ever think he'd end up making maps? "No. I pictured myself working for a graphic design firm," he says. But it's not as much of a stretch as one might think. "Design is really just organization and presentation of information. Maps are design at its most functional. They are tools. There's a lot of gratification in creating a symbol that speaks without the need for a legend. Or in helping someone get from Point A to Point B without having to ask for directions.

"The art is in HOW you present the information. There is an art to communicating an idea clearly and simply. The challenge is to develop standards that don't compete yet aren't antiseptic. I was given a lot of creative freedom to explore new ways of presenting information. So in that sense, even though it was a lot of work, it was also a very rewarding experience," Sievers says.

As with other forms of art, the devil is in the details. One of the best features of the atlas is perhaps the least obvious: the structure. After a brief introduction, the maps begin on page one and proceed alphabetically. A locator icon identifies which part of a county you are looking at when maps are too large to fit on one spread. There is even a handy legend flap that doubles as a placeholder. "You might not know why it works, but you will recognize that it does," says Sievers. "It's especially important with maps that they be logical. The last thing you need when using a map is to be confused about how to read it."

Even though CCI is known for full-color maps, the atlas was designed using only two. Unlike sponsored projects, the atlas will be sold directly through major outlets. Therefore it will be sitting on shelves right next to the competition. There is a school of thought that says maps need to be simple and straightforward. People want maps that look functional, not flashy. In truth, full-color maps are more expensive to produce, so people assume that the cost will be passed down to them. Working on a budget, Sievers was asked to find ways to minimize costs.

"Nate came up with a format that works, a two-color approach that doesn't sacrifice legibility or distinction between items. That's true creativity. Real talent. Anyone can be creative when there are no boundaries," says Rick Meier, the production manager at CCI. Like Sievers, he is also an artist with a degree in graphic design.

Meier remembers CCI's first atlas project for the state of Wisconsin. "There we had the use of full color, but we had our own set of challenges to face. We learned there is such a thing as using too much color. You lose the hierarchy; everything competes for attention. We also tried to make the atlas as complete as possible. And it's all there. You may need a magnifying glass, but it's there."

There is a reason why the Minnesota Atlas is such a solid tool. "The Wisconsin Atlas was a great learning experience," Meier says. "When you are doing something for the first time, is it possible to not make mistakes? There is a tendency to try to explore and use every new idea or feature or tool. You are probably going to go overboard. The end result is that you eventually pare back and look for ways to simplify. But you have to try. Sometimes you have to do something to know what doesn't work and what you want."

He says this about the art of mapping: "Art can be so subjective that it's often unusable. There is no obvious purpose behind it. Now when you take a map and make it art, everyone can understand it, so it appeals to a wide audience. Beauty and function - that's what makes it fantastic."

Created by local artists and sports lovers, the Minnesota Atlas is not just your average book of maps. "We call it the Leatherman of atlases," Sievers says. "It makes a perfect gift for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds: hunters, fishers, bikers, snowmobilers, golfers-basically anyone who wants to navigate around Minnesota. I want somebody to go on a trip and say 'God, I LOVE this atlas!'"
 

MN Atlas "Did You Know" Facts

1. The MN atlas is the most user-friendly MN atlas on the market. County maps appear alphabetically and include road indexes. A convenient legend flap on the cover lets you mark your spot and easily reference patterns and symbols.
2. The MN Atlas has over 100 detailed maps of major Minnesota cities.
3. If you're looking for parks, trails, public access areas or historical areas across the state, the MN Atlas has all of these features you're looking for and much more!
4. The MN Atlas has listings for over 1200 waterfowl production and wildlife management areas that are open to public hunting.