Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2018 Parking and Transit Map

FLIBS 2018 Parking and Transit Map

Illustration and Design by John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
Client: Informa Markets

For more (and more up to date) information about the 2018 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show visit their official site at FLIBS.com.

Alternate concept

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Transportation Map

Alternate concept

The 2018 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show marked a transition in the approach to its transportation and parking map. This year, I collaborated with a different manager at Informa than in prior years. This manager was open to reevaluating the existing format. While previous editions of the map had prioritized a stylized, illustrative approach, there was a shared interest in shifting towards a design that emphasized clear information delivery. This led to the decision to adopt an overhead map format built upon open source geographic data, representing a step toward a more grounded and practical foundation.

The new direction, however, introduced its own set of design challenges. In moving away from a simpler illustration, the map quickly incorporated a high density of information. The client requested specific graphical treatments, such as using red stars to denote venues, which I felt impacted the overall aesthetic refinement. The map aimed to consolidate numerous elements: all parking locations were marked with keyed maroon dots, water taxi stops with numbered yellow dots, and bus stops with black dots. The routes for water taxis and buses were indicated with colored paths and accompanying icons, a combination that contributed to a visually busy composition. While it presented a broad overview of parking areas locations, it showed general locations without providing specific routing details, limiting its utility for precise trip planning.

This 2018 map represents an important, albeit complex, evolutionary step. The core decision to use vector based geographic data established a durable technical foundation that I continue to build upon today. The process for this edition involved creating and reviewing multiple versions, including a purely diagrammatic option, before arriving at the published design. In retrospect, the project faced significant challenges in balancing stakeholder input with optimal design principles. A more streamlined collaborative process, with greater autonomy in graphical decision making, would have likely yielded a more immediately effective result. The years following this edition saw continued refinement, ultimately leading to the clearer, more focused transit guides used today, which benefit from the lessons learned during this transitional period.

For more examples of my current approach to clear, user focused event transportation graphics, please see the 2025 version.