Map%20Design%20and%20Cartographic%20Principles

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Map Design and Cartographic Principles
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• What information is being mapped?
• Who will be reading the map?
• What size will the map be?
• In what media will the map be used?
• What are the time and budget constraints?

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• Map Elements Information used to interpret the
  map
• Visual Hierarchy
• Decorative elements
• Refining your map other design considerations

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Major Elements

• Title - Descriptive and informative
• Legends - explains the symbology used in the map
  body
• Scale indicators - text (11,000,000) or graphic
  (scale bar)
• Orientation (direction) indicators -north arrow
• Graticule/Grids
• Data Source note
• Author and Organization/Company who created the
  map
• Date created/edited
• Coordinate System, Projection , Datum

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Optional Elements

• Subtitles
• Explanatory text notes
• Neatline
• Photos
• Graphs
• Smaller-scale inset maps showing location
• Larger-scale inset maps showing detail or
  locations outside the area of the main map

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Scale Bars
General Suited for reference
Detailed Suited for measurements
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Visual Hierarchy

• Hierarchy is established by the location and size
  of map elements

Increasing
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Decreasing
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Visual Hierarchy

• Transparency can also be used for creating
  hierarchy of information (tones down color)

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Visual Hierarchy
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Vegetation of Country Emphasized
Vegetation of Parks Emphasized
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Decorative Elements

• Drop shadows
• Line styles for frames
• Background patterns
• Full compass rose
• Zoom lines
• Colorful logos
• Decorative type fonts

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Decorative Elements
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Decorative Elements
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Decorative Elements Zoom Lines
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Refining a layout

• Balance empty/white spaces
• Boxes? Be careful
• Alignment
• Framing your data

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Empty Spaces
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Empty Spaces
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Boxes and Frames
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Alignments
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Framing and Edges
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Review

• Identify the audience (general public, scientific
  audience, high school students?)
• Media of final map (digital or had copy, color
  or black and white, poster or letter size)
• Use white spaces to visual group elements of your
  map and create a balance
• Look at lot of good maps!