Makin’ Maps

1. Makin’ Maps

2. Map Design • Design is a process, a sequential ordering of events • Maps designed to communicate ideas • Efficient and effective map design will facilitate the transfer of knowledge between map author and percipient Props to Dr. Gant (Indiana), Dr. Clark (Arizona)

3. Cartographic Design • Map design - art of cartography • ability to arrange maps elements so that map is: • interesting to look at • effective in communicating information

4. What Makes a Good Map? • How well does map communicate to your audience? • What is the motive, intent, or goal of the map? • Who will read the map? • Where will the map be used? • What data is available for the composition of the map? • What resources are available in terms of both time and equipment?

5. Deciding on a map type…

6. Map Types: Point Data • Dot • Picture Symbol • Graduated Symbol • Topographic

7. Map Types: Line Data • Network • Flow

8. Map Types: Area Data • Choropleth • Area qualitative • Stepped surface • Isoline / Isopleth

9. Map Types: Volume Data • [Isopleth, Stepped Surface] • Realistic perspective • Hill-shaded • Image map

10. Choosing Types • Check the data • Continuous • Discrete • Accuracy & Precision • Reliability • Dimension (Point, Line, Area, Volume) • Scale of Measurement (Nominal etc.) • Classification (equal interval, quintiles, etc)

11. Basic Elements of Map Composition

12. Basic Elements of Map Composition • Basic map elements: Information commonly needed by the map reader • title, scale, legend, body of the map, north arrow, cartographer, neatline, date of production, projection used, and information about sources

13. Title & Subtitle Thematic Overlay Neatline Base map Legend Scale Map Author and Date Projection Source North Arrow

14. Elements (that should be) found on every map • Distance or Scale • Direction • Legend • Sources of information • When processed

15. Does a North arrow make sense on this map?

16. Directional Indicator -North Arrow • include when an unusual orientation used (west up) • include when direction not obvious • typically used on large scale maps where direction applicable everywhere • use graticule on smaller scale maps instead of North arrow

17. Elements that enhance effective communication • Neatlines • Locator maps • Inset maps

18. Use of a Location Map

19. So…. Those are the elements but how should we arrange them? • The ART of Cartography…..

20. The Need for Design • To appear professional and avoid errors, maps should reflect cartographic knowledge about map design. • A map has a visual grammar or structure that must be understood and used if the best map design is desired. • Cartographic convention (e.g. forests should be green).

21. External Controls affecting Map Design 1.Purpose of map – client will dictate, influences what you will show and how 2.Topic of map – influences choice of base map, scale 3. Page layout/size – influences scale, level of detail you can show Other factors you can think of…?

22. The Design Process • Creativity • Visualization • incorporating visual images into thought • must be able to visualize alternate solutions • Experimentation • explore alternate solutions • good design may require many iterations • Aesthetics • harmony, composition, clarity

23. Cartographic research tells us that the most important elements of a map are: • Base • Symbolization • Title • Legend • Base / symbols are “meat” of the map • Base – locational framework • Symbols – subject matter • Need to design map so that these elements dominate the map layout/design

24. Visual Ordering of Map Elements • Success of map depends on effective visual ordering of map elements • 2 forms of visual ordering: • Planar organization – concerns the way we arrange elements on a page • Visual balance • Focus of attention • Hierarchical organization (visual hierarchy) - the manner in which importance of elements is emphasized • Figure-ground organization • Contrast

25. Planar Organization • Visual Balance • Sizing of elements relative to one another • Division of space • Relative positions of elements should appear logical • Focus of Attention • Optical center vs. geometric center • Natural eye movement across a page

26. Optical Center Geometric Center Optical Center vs. Geometric Center

27. Focus Field Fringe Natural eye movement across a page

28. Hierarchical organization (visual hierarchy) • Figure-Ground organization • Contrast • Line character and weight • Texture • Value • Detail • Color

29. Figure-Ground Organization • Figure • Object of attention, standing out from the background • Ground • Formless background space • Ways of establishing strong figure-ground relationships • Value contrast • Textural contrast • Pattern orientation • Strong edges • Location • Floating figure above other elements • Superimposition of text

30. Lack of contrast resulting in poor figure-ground perception Better contrast resulting in good figure-ground perception

31. Figure-Ground Value Contrast

32. Figure-GroundTextural Variation

33. Centrally located features more easily seen

34. Figure ‘floating’ on top on Ground Superimposition draws attention to Figure

35. Contrast • Fundamental in developing strong Figure-Ground relationships • Design principles • Vary line widths • Vary line character • Vary value (color or saturation) • Vary texture/pattern

36. Shading Hue Pattern Line weight Symbol “weight”

37. Example of good line contrast Example of poor line contrast

38. Dimensions of Color HUE INTENSITY SATURATION

39. Making the symbols and lettering…

40. A word about Scale and Generalization • Smaller scale means fewer features. • Smaller scale means smoother features. • Smaller scale means combining features. • Smaller scale means displacing features.

41. Using symbols…

42. Type Placement and Attributes • Need to consider the most effective way of positioning type on a map • Labeling Point Symbols • Labeling Linear Features • Labeling Areas • Title and Legend text

43. Labeling Point Symbols • Some guidelines • Name of ports and harbor towns placed seaward • Names of towns should be on side of a river where the town is located • Do not overlap the coastlines or rivers with names

44. Labeling Linear Features • Roads, rivers, streams, highways, railroads… • Labels should be set as often as necessary along a feature to facilitate identification • Ideally, above a horizontal stretch but, not always possible • For rivers, italics preferred • Keep text off of feature

45. Labeling Areas • Oceans, bays, large lakes, countries, states, counties… • Show extent of the feature by letterspacing label

46. 0 0 Text: Selection and Placement 6 6 e t u o R S d U u M New York e k 2 a L CA NV BM 232 POINT LINE AREA Figure 7.2 Some cartographic label placement conventions. Points: right and above preferred with no overlap. Lines: Following the direction of the line, curved if a river. Text should read up on the left of the map and down on the right. Areas: On a gently curved line following the shape of the figure and upright.

47. Text placement Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Path right Santa Barbara P a t h D o w n Santa Barbara L a g o o n

49. Title and Legend Text • Title generally the most important text on map – largest type size • Subtitle – smaller type size • Can use title boxes to overlap other map features • Wording of titles also very important

50. Notice: Water Features in italics Position of text around points Figure/ground relationships