How to Create a Map Feature Wall – A Step-By-Step Guide

A Map Feature Wall can inspire critical thinking and spark curiosity.

Large, vibrant Maps add WOW factor to any learning environment. In fact, they’re one of the most popular types of Wall Art that schools request.

Maps encourage pupils to think beyond the walls of their school, into the local community, region, country and the wider world. They are a powerful tool that helps pupils build an understanding of where they live against a backdrop of the wider world.

At Promote Your School, we’ve designed many maps for schools around the world. Through this work, we’ve developed a seamless process for turning dreams into designs. Our design process is carefully curated to make sure each school gets the end result they want.

And now, we’re sharing this process with you so you see what happens behind-the-scenes to bring your Map to life.

1. The why: Why choose a Map Feature Wall?

Why is a Map right for your school? And what is the objective you’re trying to achieve? These are two critical questions we’ll ask before we begin.

You might use a Map Feature Wall to;

• Give pupils a sense of relativity so they understand their place in the local community, their country and the wider world
• Create a sense of belonging, and celebrate your local area or country
• Transform the walls of your Geography department to get pupils in the right mindset for learning
• Broaden your pupils’ mindsets to consider other nationalities and cultures
• Spark curiosity and promote critical thinking
• Support pupils with knowledge retention for exams

Once we understand your purpose for requesting a Map, we can help you develop your design brief.

For example, John Perryn Primary School asked us to feature the migration stories of their school community. This was a wonderful way to promote tolerance and create a sense of belonging for all pupils at a local, regional and international level.

2. The Where: Find the perfect spot

It’s important to choose the perfect location for your Map.

Remember, a Map doesn’t have to be in your Geography department! In fact, Maps are ideal for anywhere in your school.

Schools often use Maps in these key areas;

• Entrance or reception area – local maps are ideal for this and can include the school’s history and local landmarks
• Communal areas like the school hall, atrium, canteen or playground
• Stairwells – these see lots of footfall and usually offer large blank walls that are perfect for a Map
• General Corridors or the Geography department – a single wall space is enough to make a big impact

You can even include your Map Feature Wall as part of a bigger design. For example; a map will complement an environmental awareness wall or Natural Habitats, like the example below.

We designed this Map at Forest School. The Map formed part of a design showcasing the flora and fauna that characterise various continents to give context of nature’s importance and impact across the globe. And we used inspiring images to create a sense of awe and wonder as students gaze upon their beautiful world.

3. The what: Your Design Brief

Schools often tell us they’re surprised by how much they enjoy being part of our design process! This process involves your Consultant helping you shape your design brief so we understand your requirements.

We’re very flexible on how you provide your brief. Some schools prefer a written document or email, whilst others may wish to discuss their brief in detail in-person or over the phone. We’ll work around you. And, if you’re not sure how you want your Map to look, then we can help.

It’s our job to take your vision and turn it into designs that achieve your goals. At this stage of the process, we’ll ask questions like;

• What content should your Map include? E.g. local landmarks, photos, any key areas we should highlight.
• Would you like any additional learning tools like flags of the world, capital cities, famous people or quotes?
• Should we brand your design to your school’s colours, or would you prefer a mixed colour palette?
• Is the Map designed for all pupils or a particular age group? We’ll adjust the style of the designs to meet the ages of your intended audience.
• What level of personalisation would you like? We can feature your school’s history in a local map or can draw out specific features of the map that are relevant to you.

Our design team creates all artwork in-house and bespoke. So we can tailor your Maps to your exact specifications.

This project at Longwood Primary School is a perfect example. The design features local, national, and world maps—designed to help children explore where they belong, from their own community to the wider world. Longwood’s map feature walls were customised with local details for familiarity and surrounded by landmarks specified by the school in their brief chosen to support more than just their geography curriculum. Historical sites, religious places, works of art, and even local parks and shops all play a part in helping pupils feel a sense of pride, curiosity, and belonging.

4. The how: Who’s who?

It’s helpful to consider who will be involved in bringing your Map Feature Wall to life.

Perhaps your SLT will join forces to provide input. Or you may even involve pupils in the process. Think about who needs to see the final designs before they’re printed. It’s also useful to have a few pairs of eyes for proofreading and fact-checking to ensure there are no mistakes before you sign off.

A few people who might be involved;

• Headteacher or Deputy Head
• Senior Leadership Team
• Marketing Manager or School Business Manager
• Estates Managers or Facilities team
• PTA and/or Governors
• Pupils and even parents in some cases

It can be a fun and collaborative process to create your design brief together as a team!

5. The Wow! Outstanding support from start to finish

We’re proud to offer unrivalled customer support and service to our customers. And this is likely the reason so many schools choose to work with us again and again.

“From start to finish an excellent service. Any amends that we requested were made quickly and efficiently. Installation was quick and attention to detail meticulous. The quality of the final product is excellent, and the Wall Art has enhanced the corridor walls. Positive feedback from both staff and students on their return from the summer holidays” – Bishop Challoner Federation

A few highlights of our service include;

• A free and genuinely no obligation visit to your school for the initial consultation
• Dedicated Consultant, with education experience and regional knowledge, to guide you through the process
• Unlimited amends to your artwork (according to your original brief) – you only need approve your designs when you’re 100% happy!
• Bespoke design by a highly skilled team of designers who will tailor your project to your unique requirements

Your quoted price includes design, print and installation – there are no hidden extras or surprises!

Put your school on the map…

Promote Your School is an education design agency based in the UK. We create bespoke Wall Art for schools around the world.

Our Case Studies page shows the breadth and diversity of our work. We take pride in creating one-of-a-kind designs that add WOW factor to learning environments.

Ready to get started? Contact us to arrange your free consultation. We’d love to bring your walls to life and put your school on the map…