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Jun 22, 2024 · One of the most important features on a map is the map scale. It provides a way to understand the relationship between the measured distance on a map and the corresponding distance in reality. The scale allows individuals to determine the actual size and distance between different locations on the map.
- Five Primary Design Principles For Cartography
- Visual Contrast
- Legibility
- Figure-Ground Organization
- Hierarchical Organization
- Balance
- Resources
- About The Author
By Aileen Buckley, Esri This article as a PDF. Cartographers apply many design principles when compiling their maps and constructing page layouts. Five of the main design principles are legibility, visual contrast, figure-ground organization, hierarchical organization, and balance. Together these principles form a system for seeing and understandin...
Visual contrast relates how map features and page elements contrast with each other and their background. To understand this principle at work, consider your inability to see well in a dark environment. Your eyes are not receiving much reflected light, so there is little visual contrast between the objects in your field of view and you cannot easil...
Legibility is the ability to be seen and understood. Many people strive to make their map contents and page elements easily seen, but it is also important that they can be understood. Legibility depends on good decision making when selecting symbols. Choosing symbols that are familiar and are appropriate sizes results in symbols that are effortless...
Figure-ground organization is the spontaneous separation of the figure in the foreground from an amorphous background. Cartographers use this design principle to help map readers focus on a specific area of the map. There are many ways to promote figure-ground organization, such as adding detail to the map or using a whitewash, a drop shadow, or fe...
As noted in Elements of Cartography, Sixth Edition, one of the major objectives in mapmaking is to "separate meaningful characteristics and to portray likenesses, differences, and interrelationships." The internal graphic structuring of the map (and, more generally, the page layout) is fundamental to helping people read your map. You can think of a...
Balance involves the organization of the map and other elements on the page. A well-balanced map page results in an impression of equilibrium and harmony. You can also use balance in different ways to promote edginess or tension or create an impression that is more organic. Balance results from two primary factors: visual weight and visual directio...
These cartography textbooks provide more in-depth discussions of the design principles described in this article and how they are applied in cartography. Dent, Borden D., Jeffrey S. Torguson, and Thomas H. Hodler. 2009. Cartography: Thematic Map Design, Sixth Edition, 207–222. Boston, MA: WCB-McGraw Hill. Robinson, Arthur H., Joel L. Morrison, Phil...
Aileen Buckley is the lead of the Esri Mapping Center, an Esri website dedicated to helping users make professional-quality maps with ArcGIS. She has more than 25 years of experience in cartography and holds a doctorate in geography from Oregon State University. She has written and presented widely on cartography and GIS and is one of the authors o...
Jan 26, 2024 · Towns, cities, national parks, state parks, and more depending on the particular map. Each map is unique, and the features shown or hidden will depend on where your map was made. Harder to find in the past, highly-detailed topo maps of specific regions like Hawaii can now be purchased and enjoyed by anyone who’s interested in owning one.
Feb 28, 2024 · Maps and everyday life are now so intertwined for most people that it's difficult to imagine a world without them. Most of us use at least one map every day. Some of us use many, especially now ...
- Mike Duggan
Feb 27, 2024 · By bringing together my own research studying map users in London, and the work of others who have researched mapping practices around the world, I want to show how uses of maps are shaped by ...
- Mike Duggan
Jun 25, 2024 · They are used by everyday people to navigate, give directions, organize information, and create meaning about people, places, or cultures. These personal maps can range from recalling the layout of a grocery store to locating specific places within a city. In conclusion, maps are essential tools that contribute to our everyday lives in numerous ...
This website challenges our acceptance of maps by posing questions about how they are made and how we understand them. Travel to the edge of the world, look into the maps and seek the answers. Wonder at the cartographers’ skill, drawing together art and science to produce versatile, useful, beautiful maps.
