Map design concerns the design of maps, abstract objects used to represent real places and things by use of symbolization. A map is a simplified depiction of a space, a navigational aid which highlights relations between objects within that space. ... This article is about the concept of abstraction in general. ...

Goal

In order for one to create a successful map, the creator must take into consideration the audience. They must ask themselves, who will use this map and what will they use it for? Then, taking into account the needs of the percipient, the creator is able to make a well designed map accordingly. Arthur H. Robinson, an American cartographer, says if the map is not properly designed "it will be a cartographic failure." He also claims, when considering all aspects of cartography, "map design is perhaps the most complex." (1953, pp. 120) Arthur H. Robinson ( January 5, 1915 – October 19, 2004) was an American geographer and cartographer. ... Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making maps or globes. ...

From the very beginning of map making, maps "have been made for some particular purpose or set of purposes" (Robinson, 1982, pp. 3). The intent of the map should be illustrated in a manner in which the percipient acknowledges its purpose in a timely fashion. The term percipient refers to the person receiving information, coined by Robinson (MacEachren, 1995, pp. 5). The principle of figure-ground refers to this notion of engaging the user by presenting a clear presentation, leaving no confusion concerning the purpose of the map. This will enhance the user’s experience and keep his attention. If the user is unable to identify what is being demonstrated in a reasonable fashion, the map may be regarded as useless. Figure-Ground Methods in Map Design An effectively designed map is one in which the intended message is clearly communicated to the percipient, or map user. ...

Making a meaningful map is the ultimate goal. MacEachren explains that a well designed map "is convincing because it implies authenticity" (1994, pp. 9). An interesting map will no doubt engage a reader. Information richness or a map that is multivariate shows relationships within the map. Showing several variables allows comparison, which adds to the meaningfulness of the map. This also generates hypothesis and stimulates ideas and perhaps further research. In order to convey the message of the map, the creator must design it in a manner which will aid the reader in the overall understanding of its purpose. The title of a map may provide the "needed link" necessary for communicating that message, but the overall design of the map fosters the manner in which the reader interprets it (Monmonier, 1993, pp. 93).

Map Symbolization

The quality of a map’s design affects its reader’s ability to extract information, and to learn from the map. Cartographic symbology has been developed in an effort to portray the world accurately and effectively convey information to the map reader. A legend explains the pictorial language of the map known as its symbology. The title indicates the region the map portrays; the map image portrays the region and so on. Although every map element serves some purpose, convention only dictates inclusion of some elements while others are considered optional. A menu of map elements includes the neatline (border), compass rose or north arrow, overview map, scale bar, projection, and information about the map sources, accuracy and publication. Symbology is the fictional academic discipline pursued by the hero of Dan Browns novels The Da Vinci Code and Angels And Demons. The hero, Robert Langdon, is supposed to be a professor of symbology at Harvard. ... A compass rose is a figure displaying the orientation of the cardinal directions, north, south, east and west on a map. ... The Mercator projection shows courses of constant bearing as straight lines. ...

When examining a landscape, scale can be intuited from trees, houses and cars. Not so with a map. Even such a simple thing as a north arrow is crucial. It may seem obvious that the top of a map should point north but this might not be the case.

Color likewise is equally important. How the cartographer displays the data in different hues can greatly affect the understanding or feel of the map. Different intensities of hue portray different objectives the cartographer is attempting to get across to the audience. Today, personal computers can display up to 16 million distinct colors at a time even though the human eye can distinguish only a minimum number of these (Jeer, 1997). This fact allows for a multitude of color options for even for the most demanding maps. Moreover, computers can easily hatch patterns in colors to give even more options. This is very beneficial when symbolizing data in categories such as quintile and equal interval classifications.

Quantitative symbols give a visual measure of the relative size/importance/number that a symbol represents and to symbolize this data on a map there are two major classes of symbols used for portraying quantitative properties: Proportional symbols change their visual weight according to a quantitative property. These are appropriate for extensive statistics. Choropleth maps portray data collection areas (such as counties, or census tracts) with color. Using color this way, the darkness and intensity (or value) of the color is evaluated by the eye as a measure of intensity or concentration (Harvard Graduate School of Design, 2005). A choropleth map (Greek χωρα, area, region + πληθαίνω multiply) is a map in which areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map, such as population density or per-capita income. ...

See also

• Japanese map symbols

This is a list of symbols appearing on Japanese maps. ...

References

• Robinson, A.H. (1953) Elements of Cartography. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Robinson, A.H. (1982) Early Thematic Mapping: In the History of Cartography. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
• MacEachren, A.M. (1994) Some Truth with Maps: A Primer on Symbolization & Design. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University.
• MacEachren, A.M. (1995) How Maps Work. New York: The Guilford Press.
• Monmonier, M. (1993) Mapping It Out. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
• ESRI. 2004. ESRI Cartography: Capabilities and Trends. Redlands, CA. White Paper
• Imus, D. and Dunlavey, P. 2002. Back to the Drawing Board: Cartography vs the Digital Workflow. MT. Hood, Oregon.
• Phillips, R., De Lucia, A., and Skelton, A. 1975. Some Objective Tests of the Legibility of Relief Maps. The Cartographic Journal. 12, pp. 39-46
• Phillips, R. 1980. A Comparison of Color and Visual Texture as Codes for use as Area Symbols on Relief Maps. Ergonomics. 23, pp. 1117-1128.
• Rice, M., Jacobson, R., Jones. D. 2003. Object Size Discrimination and Non-visual Cartographic Symbolization. CA. pp. 1-12.
• Olson, Judy M. 1975. Experience and the improvement of cartographic communication. Cartographic Journal 12, no. 2:94-108
• Slocum, T. 1999 Thematic Cartography and Geographic Visualization. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
• Crawford, P.V. 1973 The perception of graduated squares as cartographic symbols. Cartographic Journal 10, no.2:85-88.
• Harvard Graduate School of Design, 2005. http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/gis/manual/style/index.htm
• Jeer, S. 1997. Traditional Color Coding for Land Uses. American Planning Association. pp. 4-5

External links

• UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library, web-site from the UN Environment Programme with hundreds of examples of thematic maps