Express cardinal directions with the aid of a compass rose. Simply enough, a compass rose expresses the orientation of four directions: north, south, east & west. Although compass roses that have traditionally been used in nautical charts are chock-full of information, they may also be as simple as a tiny illustration of four arrows pointed in each of the cardinal directions. Regardless of the appearance your compass rose, it should serve to communicate that a basic sense of coordinates is contained within your map.
Avoid adding too much detail. Make your map clear & simple to understand. Thus, emphasize common roads & intersections in the map, rather than attempting to represent the area under consideration from a literal perspective. If possible, use color for a specific purpose in your map, such as to distinguish city streets from freeways.
Display important landmarks prominently on your map. While common landmarks tend to blend into the scenery if we drive past them on a daily basis, they can still serve as excellent visual indicators of location if we are unsure of where we are traveling. Schools, malls, grocery stores or water towers can each be used as a reliable reference point on a directional map.
If appropriate, insert text into your map. Don't be afraid to step outside the rules of traditional mapmaking. If you are making a map to include in invitation letters for a party, feel free to insert text bubbles offering friendly advice for your friends. For example, you may want them to know that a certain street is always a little busy during rush hour, or you could also let them know that they should enter the side gate since the party is being held in the backyard. You can even introduce a little humor into the text bubbles, but always make sure these comments are also informative
Take advantage of free software online when creating your map. A prodigious amount of applications exist online to simplify the mapmaking process. First and foremost is the Google Maps application. If you type a street address into its search bar, you will be taken to a map which can be customized in a multitude of ways. It is a zoomable map that can be shown in both satellite as well as terrain views. Similarly, MapQuest allows users to input locations into a search bar, then provides a map linking the locations as well as concise written directions to guide users in their travels. These maps may be saved via screenshots and customized with annotations.