basic principles of cartographic design · 2014-07-16 · basic principles of cartographic design ....
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Basic principles of cartographic design Makram Murad-al-shaikh M.S. Cartography Esri education delivery team
Cartographic concepts
• Cartography defined
• The communication channel - Why maps fail
• Objectives & limitations affecting design
• Cartographic design issues
• Abuse of GIS cartography
What is cartography?
Use
Art Science Technology
Making maps
Presentation
How do I communicate through maps?
The geographic environment Compile Recognize
Select Classify
Simplify Symbolize
Read Analyze
Interpret Imagine
Map Map
Cartographer
Reality
Reality?
Map user
What is cartographic design?
Beauty is NOT the MAIN objective
Complex task (unlimited options)
Highly creative mental activity
Use concepts of communication
Think in visual terms
Useful map
What are my cartographic objectives?
• The WHY?
• The HOW?
Map objectives
• Convey information • Highlight spatial relationships • Illustrate analysis results • Easier comprehension of complex events
Design objectives
• Fulfill map objectives • Assign meaningful symbology • Ensure truthful depiction of reality • Fulfill communication objectives
What are my communication objectives?
Population Soils
Focused information Importance can vary
Symbols can dominate
Variety of information Equal importance Subtle symbology
General map
Thematic map
Qualitative Quantitative
Which projection should I use?
• More than 4000 • No perfect projection • All have distortions
Cylindrical
Conical
Azimuthal Direction
Distance
Shape
Area
How much detail should I include?
Displace?
Aggregate? Omit?
Simplify?
Collapse?
Typify?
Exaggerate? Classify?
Refine?
C E
B
C2 C3 E1 B1
E5 C5
B4
What symbol characteristics should I use?
Color
Shape
Texture / Pattern
Graytone value
Size
Qualitative
Quantitative
What colors should I use?
• Connotations • Conventions • Preferences • For screen or paper
R G B Y
Hue
20 30 50 85%
Value
100 70 40 10%
Saturation
Dimensions
Does the eye have limitations?
Maximum 12 colors
Maximum 7 – 8 shades
What about the color-impaired?
• Avoid pure green / red • Vary shapes, textures • Use brightness contrast (not more colors) Normal eye
Red defective
Green defective
Blue defective
Can I used special effects?
Texture vibration
Orientation exerts direction
Optical illusions
When do I use patters?
• Only for areas • Qualitative symbology • Consider effects of reduction
How legible are my symbols?
• Size of symbol • Distance of viewing • Perfect vision?
How do I create visual contrast / hierarchy?
Differentiation
Relative importance
How do I contrast text on maps?
• Legibility issues - Text color vs background color - Uppercase vs lowercase - No fancy fonts
Form
Tigris Orlando Color
Baghdad Basra Style
Qualitative
River RIVER River
Size
Redlands San Diego Value
Color
River RIVER River
Form
Quantitative
Tigris Orlando
Redlands San Diego
Best
Avoid
Where do I place names at POINTS?
• Readability issues
Makramville Jackville
Marinaville Lauraville
Majdville
Shirleyville
1 2
3 4
5 6
5 3 1
6
0 0
2 4
Maplex
Where do I place names along LINES?
• Ambiguity issues
Maplex
? ?
How do I label contours?
• Faster reading issues
Maplex
What angles are suitable for names?
• Convenience issues
Text
Text
Text
Text Text
What map elements should I place on my map?
Designed by Makram 2014
• Projection? • Source? • Date of data?
What is visual balance?
• Layout of map elements • Visual center
• Visual weight - Size, value, brilliance, close to edge
• What about gaps?
x h
(5%) h Visual
Geometric
Which of these maps is more visually balanced? TEST 1
A
2
1
C B
Which of these maps is more visually balanced? TEST 2
A B
Which of these maps is more visually balanced? TEST 3
A B
Is North correct everywhere?
N N
Mollweide projection
What about my scale?
Are these dog houses?
Must be visually easy to read
Is it correct? Is it easy to use?
What about my legend?
Necessary?
Decimals?
What about maps for publishing in ArcGIS Online?
• Cartography vs performance • Avoid
- Advanced Drawing Options in ArcMap
- Multiple layer symbols
- Picture symbols
- Dash line patterns, splining, and offsets
- Dot density fills
- Text halo masks and text fill patterns
- Complex SQL statements for text
• OR publish the map as a cached map service
Always Think
of the ? ?
?
User
Questions?
Where can I read more about cartographic design?
Brewer, Cynthia A. Designing Better Maps – A Guide for GIS Users, Esri Press, 2005, ISBN 1-58948-089-9
Brewer, Cynthia A. Designed Maps — A Sourcebook for GIS Users, Esri Press, 2008, ISBN 1-58948-160-7
Imhof, Eduard. “Positioning Names on Maps”, The American Cartographer, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 128-144, 1975.
Kachel, Bill O'Sullivan. “Cartographic Design Using ARC/INFO” poster, Esri Users Conference, 1995.
Monmonier, Mark. How to Lie with Maps, The University of Chicago Press, 2nd ed., 1996. ISBN 0-226-53420-0
Murad-al-shaikh, Makram, Cartography with ArcGIS course manuals, EsrI, Inc. Course version 2.1, May 2007.
Okabe, Masataka and Kei Ito. How to make figures and presentations that are friendly to color blind people, Aug. 2002.
Robinson, Arthur H et al. Elements of Cartography, 6th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-471-55579-7
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