Lecture - 7 Cartographic Design

Cartographic Design Dr Nitin Tripathi Asian Institute of Technology

Terrain

Basic principles of cartographic design UC2009 Tech Workshops

Cartographic concepts Cartography defined The communication channel Why maps fail Objectives & limitations affecting design Cartographic design issues Abuse of GIS cartography UC2009 Tech Workshops 4

What is cartography? Technology Presentation Art Science Making maps USE UC2009 Tech Workshops 5

What is communication in cartography? Reality Cartographer The geographic Recognize environment Compile Select Classify Simplify Symbolize MMaapp Reality? Imagine Read Analyze Interpret Map user UC2009 Tech Workshops 6

What is cartographic design? Useful map Complex task (unlimited options) Highly creative mental activity Use concepts of Think in communication visual terms Beauty is NOT the MAIN objective UC2009 Tech Workshops 7

What are my cartographic objectives? Why? Highlight spatial relationships Illustrate analysis results Map Convey information objectives Easier comprehension of complex events How? Design Fulfill communication objectives Assign meaningful symbology objectives Fulfill map objectives Ensure truthful depiction of reality 8 UC2009 Tech Workshops

What are my communication objectives? General map Variety of information Equal importance Subtle symbology Thematic map Soils Population Focused information Qualitative Quantitative Importance can vary Symbols can dominate UC2009 Tech Workshops 9

Which projection should I use? • More than 3000 Cylindrical • No perfect projection • All have distortions Conical Azimuthal Shape UC2009 Tech Workshops Area Distance Direction 10

How much detail should I include? Omit? Aggregate? Collapse? Simplify? Displace? Typify? Refine? C5 E5 C C2 E C3 E1 B B1 B4 Classify? Exaggerate? UC2009 Tech Workshops 11

What symbols should I use? Qualitative Color Shape Texture / Pattern Quantitative Graytone value Size UC2009 Tech Workshops 12

What colors should I use?  Connotations Dimensions  Conventions  Preferences RGBY  For screen or paper Hue 20 30 50 85% Value 100 70 40 10% Saturation UC2009 Tech Workshops 13

What are the eye limitations? 12 colors Maximum 7- 8 shades UC2009 Tech Workshops 14

What about the color impaired? 15 Normal eye Red defective Green defective Blue defective Avoid pure green / red Vary shapes, textures Use brightness contrast (not more colors) UC2009 Tech Workshops

Can I use special effects? Texture vibration Optical illusions Orientation exerts direction UC2009 Tech Workshops 16

When do I use patterns? • For areas • Qualitative symbology • Consider effects of reduction UC2009 Tech Workshops 17

How legible are my symbols? • Size of symbols 2.9mm (.11 in) • Perfect vision? 2’ Eye 5m (16.4 ft) UC2009 Tech Workshops 18

Are there any specifications? Perception Legibility of smallest detail Lines (thickness) 0.5 mm Points 0.1 mm 0.4 mm 0.5 mm 0.5 mm Full Hollow Separation Distinction between adjacent details > 0.2 mm Differentiation Smallest difference between nearly same size symbols UC2009 Tech Workshops 19

How do I create visual contrast / hierarchy? • Differentiation • Relative importance UC2009 Tech Workshops 20

How do I represent names on my map? Qualitative Style Baghdad River Basra Form RIVER Tigris Color Orlando River Quantitative River Value Asok Color Tigris Form RIVER Bangkok Orlando Size Bangkok River Asok Legibility issues  Text color vs background color  Uppercase vs lowercase  No fancy fonts UC2009 Tech Workshops 21

How do I place names at POINTS? • Readability issues Jackville 2 1 Makramville Lauraville 4 3 Marinaville 5 Majdville 6 Shirleyville UC2009 Tech Workshops 22

How do I place names along LINES? • Ambiguity issues UC2009 Tech Workshops 23

How do I label contours? • Faster reading issues UC2009 Tech Workshops 24

Text What angles are suitable for names?Text • Convenience issues Text Text Text UC2009 Tech Workshops 25

What map elements do I place in my map? Title Date of data Map body Legend North arrow Scale bar Designed by Makram 2009 Projection, sources? Author Date of map UC2009 Tech Workshops 26

What is visual balance? • Layout of map elements Visual (5%) h • Visual center hx Geometric • Visual weight – Size, value, brilliance, close to edge • What about gaps? UC2009 Tech Workshops 27

Visual balance – Test 1 A B C 1 2 UC2009 Tech Workshops 28

Visual balance – Test 2 AB UC2009 Tech Workshops 29

Visual balance – Test 3 AB UC2009 Tech Workshops 30

What factors control my design? Objective Map form Audience Easy / Complex Authenticity Reality Generalization Quantity of information Scale Quality Technical limits Symbol size, color Conditions of use UC2009 Tech Workshops 31

Is North correct everywhere? N Mollweide projection N UC2009 Tech Workshops 32

What about my scale? Are these dog houses? Must be visually easy to read 0 3 ft ? Correct? Easy to use? UC2009 Tech Workshops 33

Do I accept software defaults? Decimals? Necessary? UC2009 Tech Workshops 34

What about maps for screen displays? 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 UC2009 Tech Workshops 35

ALWAYS THINK of ? ? the USER ? UC2009 Tech Workshops 36

Thank you