
From an early interest in maps, Martin developed a career creating maps for industry, publishing and elsewhere. How do cartographers approach their work? Do they see the world as a map? Read on to hear more about this fascinating aspect of design. Martin is a senior philosophy student in London and runs the School’s branch in South East London.
A life in Maps
Martin Lubikowski, London
Early interest
It began one Christmas before I was 10 years old when my father presented me with an atlas. I was fascinated by the maps and what they represented. Around the same time I found a free ‘treasure island’ map in a box of breakfast cereal which only furthered my interest!

In my teens, I would sit at the back of the class, drawing maps and diagrams of battle scenes in my exercise book. One teacher eventually caught me and called me ‘a wicked boy’ but now I earn my living doing just that!
I loved being outside in nature and spent a lot of time cycling with my friends around the south of England, all guided by Ordnance Survey maps. An inspirational geography teacher unlocked the door to my future career and I went on to study for a Diploma in Geographical Techniques. It was one of only two courses in the country at the time that focused on the creation of maps.
Working in Maps

I eventually became a cartographer with BP (British Petroleum) in the City of London. For 5 years I worked with a team creating maps for their geologists and geophysicists. They needed maps to locate prospects around the world where the company could drill for oil and gas.
During that time, having just married and needing a home, I looked for ways to supplement my income. I figured that the easiest source of freelance work was the publishing industry. I spent many lunch hours racing to meet with various London publishers carrying a heavy portfolio of my work. Soon I began to get commissions for individual maps for books.
The day came to take the plunge and I resigned from BP to go freelance. After Friday lunchtime farewell drinks, I went home and worked through the weekend to deliver a deadline on the Monday morning. And that was the beginning of my new way of life.
Maps for publishing
The venture was both exciting and challenging. It was 1983 and all the work was done with pen and ink. It was only after the late 1980s that computers took over. My office was a spare bedroom and our young children played around me as I created the artworks. Once I became more established I took offices in London and employed one or two additional people. The business grew and we were able to take on more significant projects.
An interesting one came recently from a publisher contracted to create a book outlining the history of Saudi Arabia. It was to be presented to the King at the opening of a national heritage centre at Diriyah. This was the old capital on the outskirts of the new one, Riyadh. The ruined, mudbrick, old city had been redeveloped with museums and visitor facilities. So they needed maps and diagrams within a tight deadline which necessitated my being on site for six weeks.
How do you start work in creating maps?

Initially it’s a matter of asking questions and making decisions. What map reference do I need, what detail do I need, where can I acquire the source map data and is it copyrighted? Will the client supply the data to be mapped or do I need to do the research myself? Is the map for a book, a poster, an exhibition panel? Will it be printed or displayed online? Do I create a unique design for the map or must I follow an in-house style?
Then it’s about adding the creative eye. Most publishing work for fiction and non-fiction requires black and white artwork. This has to be clear and uncluttered with careful use of tints, line weights and typography. More glossy books use colour in their mapping which gives more scope to be creative. Some projects require a more decorative approach with line illustrations of key features and decorative map borders. Others are more atlas-like so require a less elaborate approach with emphasis on the pure geographical information. When an illustration goes across pages, I create the artwork so that important information isn’t lost in the gutter.
I make full use of Wikipedia and Google maps as reference sources to locate places. But all of my map artwork is created from scratch. Every map is different and every map needs a unique approach.
What else is involved in creating the maps you do?

Listening! A map is an interpretation of complex information. Most of my work is customised to carry a specific message determined by the client. My job is to understand it, then design the map, diagram or information panel so as to clearly carry that message.
One of the marketing lines I use is ‘complex information made simple’. For this to work in mapping, there has to be an understanding of how best to portray hierarchies of information. I need to make decisions on what is most important ie which elements must catch the eye first. Then the secondary information will be less visually prominent but nevertheless gives context. I have to make judgement as to what to exclude. Some authors intentionally omit certain features to give emphasis to the things they want to show, thereby highlighting their message. Maps from the Soviet Union, for example, do not always show churches, due to the atheist regime.
Who are your clients?
Requests for maps come from all over the world and mostly from people I’ve never met. So the majority come from book publishers. But often I work for museums, government departments, universities and heritage bodies, etc..
What maps have you created?
One map that stands out in my memory was the floor plans of the UK Foreign Office. (I had to sign the Official Secrets Act for that one!). I’ve also done maps in novels by John Le Carré, Alistair MacLean and Jeffery Archer to name but a few. There was also a map plus signage graphics for the Hadrian’s Wall heritage area in the north of England; exhibition maps for the V&A Museum in London and a map for signage on the Barbican Estate in the City of London.
How has your work in the School influenced your mapping work?
When I first started as a professional cartographer I used to feel my work in maps was less glamorous than that of other graphic designers. The wisdom in the teaching and the group discussions helped me see that creating maps was a skill I had been given – and I should give myself fully to perfecting it.

Acceptance and trust in that has seen me through some difficult times. When depression has hit other sectors of the graphic design industry, often my work has kept flowing.
Being true to the commission means working to the highest possible standard and not accepting second best. The ability to listen and truly hear what the client wants is a real strength and in itself attracts people. Listening to what is there and not to what I think is there is the skill and is most valuable.
The work in School has helped in overcoming the limitations which might hamper that process. Limitations such as cutting corners, and not giving full attention come from a mechanical and habitual way of working. So the discipline we learn in the School guides us to be present and give fully of our talents. This gives life meaning and is much more satisfying.
What aspect of maps do you love most?

Maps tell a story. They tell a story of the geography and history of a place. This can lead to a greater understanding of present events. The perspective of history and geography can give us breadth of vision; it can give detachment. And it helps us avoid being caught up in the doom and gloom so prevalent today.
Do you have a favourite map?
If I had to pick one map I would select M. Minard’s map of Napoleon’s march on Moscow as being a brilliant example of how a map or graphic can illustrate a complex subject in a very direct way without the need for many words.
One last word – I remember Leon MacLaren, (founder of the School) saying to me, ‘One day you’ll draw maps of heaven!’ So I’m sure that the commission will come one day.
Are you looking at a map? See if there’s a credit to ML Design!
See more of Martin’s work on Facebook.
Enjoyed this article? See another kind of art work