GIS Cartography

A Guide to Effective Map Design, Third Edition

Gretchen N. Peterson

• Editorial: CRC Press
• Año: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000225914
• Edición: 3
• Categoría: Technik & Maschinenbau
• Categoría: Bauingenieurwesen

Since the publication of the bestselling second edition 5 years ago, vast and new globally-relevant geographic datasets have become available to cartography practitioners, and with this has come the need for new ways to visualize them in maps as well as new challenges in ethically disseminating the visualizations. With new features and significant updates that address these changes, this edition remains faithful to the original vision that cartography instruction should be software agnostic.

Discussing map design theory and technique rather than map design tools, this book focuses on digital cartography and its best practices. This third edition has completely new sections on how to deal with maps that go viral and the ethics therein; new presentation ideas; new features such as amenities, climate data, and hazards; the new Equal Earth projection; and vector tile design considerations. All chapters are thoroughly updated with new illustrations and new sections for datasets that didn't exist when the second edition was published, as well as new techniques and trends in cartography.

New in the third edition:

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• A true textbook, written with a friendly style and excellent examples explaining everything from layout design to fonts and colors, to specific design considerations for individual feature types, to static and dynamic cartography issues.

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• Thoroughly updated with new features such as points of interest, climate data, hazards, and buildings; new projections such as the Equal Earth projection and the Spilhaus projection; and vector tile design considerations such as label placement techniques and tricks for making world-class basemaps.

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• Includes over 70 new map examples that display the latest techniques in cartography.

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• Reflects on new developments in color palettes; visualization patterns; datums; and non-static output media such as animation, interaction, and large-format cinematic techniques, that weren't available for the second edition.

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• Defines and illustrates new terms that have made their way into the profession over the last few years such as story maps, flow maps, Dorling cartograms, spec sheets, bivariate choropleths, firefly cartography, Tanaka contours, and value-by-alpha.

In this third edition, author Gretchen Peterson takes a "don't let the technology get in the way" approach to the presentation, focusing on the elements of good design, what makes a good map, and how to get there, rather than specific software tools. She provides a reference that you can thumb through time and again as you create your maps. Copiously illustrated, the third edition explores novel concepts that kick-start your pursuit of map-making excellence. The book doesn't just teach you how to design and create good maps, it teaches you how to design and create superior maps.

1 Introduction

In the first edition of this book, the intention was to make cartography accessible. It no longer needed to be relegated to the realm of stuffy academicians who looked down their noses at the admittedly meager attempts of the students and new professionals in the field. The idea was that with a more encouraging peer-to-peer tone, a huge increase in cartographic quality could be realized along with a commensurate increase in geographical and thematic understanding by the general public, which would ultimately be the benefactor of these better maps. In the first edition, I predicted that designers would infiltrate the field of cartography in large numbers and thereby raise the design-bar for those of us who came to the field by way of analysis and programming. By all accounts, this came true not long after that first edition was first published. Now we have designers using geospatial software, vector tile renderers and servers, and graphics programs to create amazing-looking stand-alone maps, dashboards, and 3D and 2D interactives on digital devices of all kinds. The bar wasn't just raised; it was thrown through the roof! Since the second edition was published the pace has only increased. New thematic map types such as firefly mapping and bivariate choropleth, new projections such as Equal Earth, new palettes such as viridis, and new machine learning derived data such as building footprints among many other satisfactory developments are all making a big difference to map quality.

A community is emerging; one that recognizes the potential for combining design's capacity for clarity and function with the accelerated pace and scope of science…. This is about science that needs to be communicated and design that has a mission. This is the exceptional and the inspired. Welcome to an emerging aesthetic of the new millennium.

Seed¹

The good news is that we all have, for the most part, equal access to the tools and information needed to reach the roof and beyond. The proliferation of open source software is making it possible for anyone, regardless of financial resources, to attempt map creation. The best place to start is to simply find a good map visualization that communicates information in a way that makes sense for what you want to do and then to emulate it. You learn as you go. However, there comes a time when you wish you had a more comprehensive knowledge of the techniques to make a great map, so that you are sure you haven't missed crucial steps to take your map from good to great. This book still aims to provide that for you in a friendly yet detailed manner. It isn't a scratch-the-surface book. It presents you with what you need to know to do your job well.

People often ask me what the major pitfalls are in designing maps. Why, they want to know, are some maps simply awful, and what can be done to make sure those awful maps don't contaminate the field at large? My thought is that there are two major categories of awful maps and their faults are different for each. The first is the map made by the beginner cartographer, the student, or early professional. The problems with these maps tend to be with layout organization, lack of color contrast, and clutter. If this is the stage of career that you're in, simply spending extra time to make sure that the margin elements look as good as the map, that the figure-ground relationship is readily apparent, and that there aren't too many features competing at the same level of hierarchy will make a big difference. The second category is maps made by people who have mastered the layout, contrast, and clutter issues, but haven't yet optimized font styling, generalization, and color trends. Fonts and generalization can benefit simply from the application of time and effort—not just using the default fonts and not just using the original data but also taking the time to optimize it for the map scale. Color trends require a certain level of attention to the newest map styles and the styles that are permeating the public psyche the most (and are thereby the most effective at disseminating information).

If all of those issues are addressed in a map, then the map has a fighting chance to make a difference. This ability to make a difference—whether it's within a small circle of important decision makers or whether it's with the world at large—is why we make maps. Accuracy and a concomitant mindfulness toward ethics should be first and foremost goals for the geoprofessional—not simply trying to be the first to make a cool visualization out of some great new dataset. New datasets and cool visualizations are of course the drivers behind a lot of what we do, and the sense of urgency to be the first to explore them is important, but never underestimate the wrath of the general public if those early explorations turn out to be bunk. Take risks, but take them wisely.

ON DESIGN EXPERIENCE

Many of us enter the geospatial profession without so much as one hour of design instruction in our formal education. This book seeks to fill that void by providing a reference that can be thumbed through time and again as you create your maps. Included are plenty of illustrations and novel concepts to kick-start your pursuit of mapping excellence.

I did not have any cartography training when I got started in the geographic information system (GIS) field 20 years ago, now commonly referred to as the geospatial profession, and felt completely thrown into the deep end with no life preserver to help me out. There were very few books on the subject, and those were either outdated or too deep in theory for someone who wanted real-life examples and lots of pictures! Without a guide, the maps I made were probably mediocre at best. At that time, it wasn't as much of a professional faux pas for me, as a GIS analyst, to be so uninformed about formal map-making technique. People were usually impressed with the mere fact that a regular analyst could trot out a map at all, and they had next to no preconceived ideas as to how the map should look (except the ever-present and often misplaced concern about color, on which everyone seemed to have an opinion). This has changed a great deal. Today, people are still impressed with those who can make maps. But people have also seen a lot of maps online and in the news media, which have built up some good and some bad notions about how they should function, what they should look like and what they are for. Therefore, it's even more important today to be aware of standards and styles and to try and achieve the best output possible.

Within this book, you will find a great amount of information on not only the tried-and-true traditional techniques, but also on the latest design skills that can really enhance your map products. You will learn that it is up to you to decide whether a particular accepted standard is right for your map or you should try a unique approach. You will learn how to cultivate your inner creative genius so that you are able to innovate. And where you need additional detail, inspiration, and instruction, there are some helpful references through which you can further your study.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

You know that map you just made? It needs some help. Be prepared to hear this and be prepared not to take it personally. Constructive criticism from a peer group can take your work to a much higher level than if you design in a vacuum. Incorporating critique into the design process is time-consuming, but without putting in the time and effort, the work may not resonate, it may not tell a good story and it may not convey the right information. GIS analysts have always been a disparate group of professionals with backgrounds ranging from the natural sciences, computer science, and planning, to a whole host of other fields, and it is no different now. This means that we haven't always had the necessary design background to make sure that analyses are properly explained, displayed, and marketed within our organizations, on the web, at conferences, in front of community groups, in the news media, on mobile devices, and in printed publications. Thus, criticism is even more important for our field than for strictly design-oriented fields, yet it is usually only in those fields that we see design critique. This needs to change.

Many excellent cartographers are great at giving constructive feedback. Seek them out and carefully consider their critiques. However, every once in a while, you'll encounter an elitist. The elite feel there is only one way to do something: their way. It's true that there are better ways and worse ways to make a map, but no one way to make an excellent map. For example, in a workshop I taught last year, we spread out five different map posters in the room. All the maps showcased the same data but in different ways, as they were all created by different mapmakers. The workshop attendees were asked to stand by the one they liked the best. There were definitely some maps in the group that didn't measure up. Everyone agreed on those, as emphasized by the fact that nobody stood by them. Intriguingly, there were two maps that were of the same caliber design-wise and the students split themselves more or less evenly between those two. With these two maps, it all came down to their color schemes. Some liked the bold, more “youthful” color scheme map while others liked the map with the more traditional, subtle palette. While a few of the students argued about one being much better than the other, it became apparent that this was more a matter of color taste than of an actual difference in map quality. Both maps were equally effective in communicating the information. When responding to criticism, revise only when that criticism is coming from a true desire to make the map better, rather than a matter of personal taste.

WHAT IS A GEOPROFESSIONAL?

I use the term geoprofessional in this book to mean those professionals who use GIS on a daily basis to produce analyses, data, and maps for the benefit and use of others beyond the geoprofessionals themselves. Professionals who fit this description have a responsibility to create truthful and informative maps that elevate the profession and to keep making cartographic advances so that data can be transformed into wisdom.

TICK-TOCK GOES THE CLOCK

Most of the guidelines found in this book consist of small touches that, when put together, make your map into a professional product. But you must be aware that though each technique may take up only a small amount of time in itself, the total time spent on all of the “little” touches that make up an entire map will be significant, especially when you are first practicing them. So, what do we do about the time that it takes to build a good-looking map? How do we convince ourselves that the time it takes to make a sophisticated map is worth the effort and financial expenditure? How do we convince our bosses and clients? If cartographer is not in your job title, then this can be difficult, although you have certainly already decided that, to some extent, the effort it takes is worth it or you wouldn't be reading this book.

One way to be assured that this is time well spent is to consider the alternative scenario. Put simply, a hastily assembled map usually ends up being a bad map. And that bad map may have to be redone. This can actually lead to an even bigger time sink than designing the map correctly from the start. How many times have you had to reprint or re-export only to have to reprint several times to fix the errors? A successful and experienced mapmaker knows that a well-designed map takes time and effort, trial and error, and attention to the latest trends in colors, fonts, and so on. Successful mapmakers know this because they've been there, done that. But you can know this too, even at the beginning of your career, by reading through the design literature, like this book, and paying close heed to the standards, conventions, and the myriad other design considerations from the get-go. Even the nerdiest analyst among us can produce a quality map if only the requisite time and effort are put forth.

Not convinced yet? Try a little motivation through recognition. This might mean entering your map into a map design contest. Even if you don't win, you will likely spend way more time on the entry than on your day-to-day maps. This extra time spent on that one contest entry will increase the quality of all the subsequent maps you make, even if you don't pick up another design book again. That's because the skills you learn in making that map will stick with you over time. Another way to get recognition is to keep your map products for your yearly evaluation day. Nothing is more persuasive to a boss of a job well done than a good visual, and what better visuals to make your case than a “before I spent time on map design” map and an “after I spent time on map design” map?

Once you are a believer, you have to get your superiors on-board as well. These people will often need more convincing because they have likely never tried to create a map on their own and therefore have no concept of how much effort may need to go into one. Because of that lack of hands-on experience, the person who is paying for your time can be hesitant to grant you more of it. So, some strategy to combat this is in order. One strategy, tailored for the Reluctant Boss, consists of taking a map-making assignment and creating two map products for it: the first is in the same style (or lack of style) as always; the second is completed on your own time by revising the map using the principles in this book coupled with any other reference materials that can help you arrive at a stellar end product. This second map will, and must, look fabulous (if not, try again). Take both maps to the Reluctant Boss. Explain that the second map was done on your own time, and be especially careful to describe how this new map is better than the first (in case this is a particularly design-blind boss). Also, point out how many hours it took to come up with that map, but emphasize that it conveys the information more accurately, effectively and is, in the end, a better tool. Then make your case that you would like to create more maps like the second one and need the time to do it. Pointing out the benefits to your boss of a better map is always helpful as well: increased professionalism, credibility, accuracy, client satisfaction, and effective communication.

Furthermore, the argument can be made that once a nice-looking map is made, a lot of the other maps that you make can build upon that initial effort and thereby take less time. You may only need to revise your map style once a year or once every few years to reflect the latest trends. If every map you make contains decidedly different data or extents from the last, then this strategy will obviously be of little use. However, you could potentially make a case for spending the requisite time to make a good map for the more high-profile map outputs with which you are tasked, and if the boss insists, spending less time on the minor map outputs.

WHY GOOD DESIGN MATTERS

In this book, you will see me advocating for good design that is both appealing and communicates its points effectively. I have heard the argument that aesthetic design is not as important as communicative design. Indeed, some say that a design could be entirely devoid of any aesthetic quality and still be considered “good” design as long as it communicates effectively. This makes sense in some situations. I think one could fairly assert that the McDonald's golden arches signs are good design, even though they are not at all beautiful. The same goes for a whole host of fast-food restaurant signs, which tend to use colors that are totally jarring from opposite sides of the color wheel. Sure, they look gaudy, but they get their messages across: “Eat here! We are fast and vibrant just like the colors on our signs!” However, does this apply to GIS maps? No! If we choose dissonant colors, viewers will not be able to look at the map for longer than 10 seconds before their eyes start to blur. If we are lax about balancing the elements on a page, then we risk losing credibility as it will look sloppy and ...