Unveiling the Artistic Map of Saint Aubin du Cormier

Nadine Grenier's Award-Winning Greetings Card Design

The inspiration behind Grenier's design draws from the popular children's book "Where's Wally?" and the big illustrated posters of famous cities created by the Omy brand. This approach led to the creation of a comic map filled with the town's most significant monuments, events, and places. The design invites everyone to recognize or discover the town's important features in a fun and engaging manner.

What sets this design apart is its dual functionality. Not only does it serve as a greetings card, but it also provides an atypical visit of the city. Each monument, event, and place is represented by a drawing that illustrates their unique characteristics. This rich, fun, and detailed map offers a fresh way to discover or rediscover the city of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier. The design is also set to be reproduced as a giant map to color for the entire city.

The design was realized through hand drawing with a graphic tablet. The first step was the creation of the greetings card, measuring 210 x 100 millimeters. The second step is the creation of a map, measuring 620 x 490 millimeters. This card can be used by the city's municipality for tourists or by teachers for pedagogic workshops.

The project started in November 2017 and was completed in March 2018. It involved extensive iconographic research, access to a bank of photos of the city provided by the town hall, and several meetings with the deputy mayor to validate all stages of creation. The design also received positive feedback from residents who enjoyed discovering and recognizing the details of the city where they live.

Despite the challenges faced during the design process, including the iconographic research, finding the right balance between representation and interpretation of the city, and drawing on the graphic tablet, Grenier was able to create a design that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and engaging. This design is a testament to Grenier's artistic skill and innovative thinking, earning her the Silver A' Design Award in 2018.