A map was the main screen and the core function of the SM2 application, so I had to ensure it was easily usable and highly attractive.
Styles exploration
SM2 map functionality was different from any navigation app. I couldn't copy a map style of any popular app and had to create a unique one.
My idea was to focus on buildings (because the app is about them) and primary roads (as an easily recognizable location anchor).
I started with schematic representations of a map.
After finding a few promising schemes, experiments with real maps started. This stage was much more exciting and challenging because:
Every map is a set of maps. Different scale ranges use slightly different sub-maps (some objects look different on various scales; they could even be invisible)
Every sub-map contained 158 layers. I hid many of them to minimize visual noise (some labels, minor roads, admin boundaries, etc.) But there were still a lot of them
To improve the map's readability, I added custom-made pins for the metro and light railway stations
To optimize the amount of work, I experimented only with the primary zoom level.
After spending significant time on research, I couldn't find the map style I liked. Nevertheless, I chose one because there were many other tasks, and engineers needed some version of the map. Anyway, it was already better than Google Maps.
There were a few problems with this variant:
Accent on buildings made the map look busy
Buildings' pins competed with buildings' silhouettes (it was impossible to highlight a building silhouette, so I had to use pins)
The map style didn't fit the app style
Despite my previous attempts, I couldn't find a suitable solution, which made me realize that I had done something wrong.
I understood that the initial idea was incorrect: there was no need to highlight buildings because if you do, the map will always look busy. On the contrary, buildings' silhouettes could be almost invisible; there would be pins anyway. Meanwhile, subway stations would be much better location anchors.
Reflections
Despite their seeming simplicity, working with maps was time-consuming. Our map contained 161 layers that had to be managed. Some layers change their appearance during scale changes, so this system had to look consistent with seamless scale transitions. And it must be updated regularly because every map is a living structure that reflects city changes.
Despite all these troubles, having your own map pays off: it looks fantastic in a product and could be used in countless marketing materials.
Custom map bonus
In addition to the main map, I experimented with data visualization.
All the engineers were busy, so I prepared all the data for visualization by myself. The results were quite good and were used everywhere, from ads to investor pitch decks.
