Kati Lacey
Freelance Illustrator
Maps • Heritage • Stories
I draw maps, interpretation and illustrations for museums, heritage organisations, cultural projects and publishing.
What I do
Illustrated maps
I create visitor maps, campus maps, walking trails and editorial maps to help people find their way and understand what they are looking at when they get there. I’m interested in space and how it affects people.
Non-fiction & interpretation
My non-fiction work is the backbone of everything I do. From interpretation panels, exhibition graphics, reconstructions, object drawings to learning resources and non-fiction books, my aim is to find the most effective way of engaging the audience that the project is intended for.
Branding & campaigns
I design illustrated identities for venues, exhibitions, seasonal events with a focus on versatility and a cohesive visual identity suitable for many different applications across print and digital.
I also design posters and leaflets, book covers and editorial illustration.
Selected work
A few projects across maps, interpretation and branding. See all work
I’m a freelance illustrator and graphic designer based in Oxfordshire. I work mostly with museums, heritage organisations, publishers and historians, drawing the places and histories they want to share: exhibition graphics, visitor maps, interpretation panels (including for new housing developments) and books.
I work closely with curators, consultants and editors and I do the design and layout too, so panels, publications and posters can come from one place. I also design posters and publicity for theatre and cultural projects.
Recent clients
Who I work with
Museums, historic houses and heritage sites
Interpretation, visitor maps, exhibition branding and learning resources, including National Lottery Heritage Fund projects such as the interpretation at Kelmscott Manor.
Universities, colleges and research projects
Campus and visitor maps, outreach and alumni materials, learning resources and diagrams that help researchers explain their work to the public.
I also work with gardens and landscapes, publishers and cultural organisations, often on maps and non-fiction projects.
What people say
“The illustrations and site-map that Kati has created for Kelmscott Manor are really very successful and everyone associated with the National Lottery Heritage Fund project was equally impressed with their clarity and the way in which the drawings of the Morris family members, birds and other characters work so well with the typography.”
Peter Cormack MBE FSA
Hon. Curatorial Adviser, Kelmscott Manor
“Kati has delivered a wide range of projects for us, from woodcut style illustrations of our grounds and buildings, to complex illustrated maps that showcase our future capital projects and location in the city of Oxford. Her work is always produced with great care, creativity, and a sense of fun.”
Greg Jones
St Edward’s School
“I worked with Kati several times on different design projects. She has both followed the briefs and enhanced them through her own creativity, to produce high quality work we were proud to use. Communication was clear and timely. I’d be very happy to work with Kati again and highly recommend her.”
Marta Lomza
Museum of Oxford
“Kati’s illustrations and designs have been a huge success. Almost everyone who has seen the published book has praised its appearance and design, which add greatly to the story.”
Gordon Hughes
Cat’s Luck (Stobo Publishing)
My Approach
Every project starts with a set of questions. What matters about this place or subject? What do we know about it and what remains uncertain? Who is it for and what might help them see it differently? Which are the tricky areas that our audience would struggle withThe questions I ask shape the illustrations that follow.
Insights
Notes and articles on map illustration, heritage interpretation and commissioning a freelance illustrator.
Have a project in mind?
A map, interpretation panels, a publication or something you’re not sure how to describe yet: tell me a little about it and I’ll reply with my suggestions or proposal.
Not ready yet? See how I work or browse the portfolio.
