elements of map composition

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Elements of Map Composition OR How to make a decent map!

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Elements of Map Composition. OR How to make a decent map!. Steps to Creating a Map. Define the Purpose of the map Audience? How will map be used? Restatement into a design problem Visualization to Creation Design solution - arrangement of map’s image elements to facilitate communication - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Elements of Map Composition

Elements of Map Composition

ORHow to make a decent map!

Page 2: Elements of Map Composition

Steps to Creating a Map

• Define the Purpose of the map– Audience?– How will map be used?

• Restatement into a design problem• Visualization to Creation• Design solution - arrangement of map’s

image elements to facilitate communication– Sort of an outline

• Graphic design

Page 3: Elements of Map Composition

The Well Designed Map…

• Has a single purpose!• Size and scale determine the level of detail

• You cannot simply blow up a map from 8.5-11 to something that would hang on the wall.

• A small map size will limit detail• A large map viewed from a distance has same problem

• Reader can easily interpret features• Reader can instantaneously understand its

message (or not, if that is the purpose).

Page 4: Elements of Map Composition

For example

If you were trying to make the case that you should be able to limit the publics use of your lake which map would you use?

Page 5: Elements of Map Composition

Elements of a thematic map

• Title• Legend• Scale• Credits• Mapped and unmapped areas• Graticule• Borders and neatlines• Symbols• Place names and labels

Page 6: Elements of Map Composition

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Title

Legend

Scale Credits

Unmapped Area

Mapped Area

Gradicule

Border

Neatline

Purpose, metadata

Page 7: Elements of Map Composition

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No Placenames

ArcView Export screw up in 8.3!

Only went to 3000 m in Layout!

Too Much White Space!

Page 8: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one

• Title– Draws attention by virtue of its size (big!)– focuses attention on primary purpose of

content of map– not always needed

• Legend– Principle reference to symbology– MUST be there

Page 9: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one

• Scale– A MUST!– Types

• graphic -- the bar• verbal -- 1” = 1 mile (watch this one)• a ratio 1/24,000 (this one too)

– Because of ubiquitous nature of Xerox machines the graphic scale is a must, the others are optional

Page 10: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one

• Credits– another, older, term for metadata– Some metadata can be placed on

map• Data source• Statement of accuracy, both spatial and

attribute• Date data collected, date map made• Your name, assignment # etc…

Page 11: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one• Mapped and unmapped areas

– Objects, land, water, and other geographical features important to the purpose of the map

– makes the composition a map rather than a diagram– The most prominent map element

• Graticule & Grids– Graticule – geographic coordinates– Often omitted

• useful if location info is important and there are no features like roads or steams

• Or if you need to fill space with something

– Grid - feature at B3

Page 12: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one

• Borders and neatlines– Borders serve to restrain eye

movement and focus attention on the map. A Border surrounds all the elements of a map.

– Neatlines are:• finer than borders• drawn inside borders• mainly decoration

Page 13: Elements of Map Composition

Borders or Not

• You can use solid fills to define map area

Location of St, Louis

Legend

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Location of St, Louis

Legend

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Page 14: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one• Symbology

– can be actual symbols (style of city point) and/or colors and patterns

– most important part of map -- if user does not know what the symbolization is the map is useless

– Designer has little control over placement (location should be as accurate as possible given scale) but can control size and color

Page 15: Elements of Map Composition

The elements one-by-one

• Place names and labels– Primary means of communicating to

user– Orients user on map (similar to

Graticule)– Can provide important info re map

purpose

Page 16: Elements of Map Composition

Composition• You have all the data • You have the symbolization plan• Now you have to visualize the map

– A creative process– Trial and error process

• Where to put borders, neatlines• What style of borders, neatlines• Where does the legend go?• The title• And so on

Page 17: Elements of Map Composition

Composition

• Purpose of composition– Forces designer or organize the visual

material– Stresses the purpose of the map– Directs the users attention– Develops an aesthetic approach for

the map

Page 18: Elements of Map Composition

Composition: Planar Organization

• Balance – visual impact of arrangement

• is the map “heavy” at top, bottom, sides???

Geometriccenter

Visual center:5% height aboveGeometric centerArrange content

around this point

Page 19: Elements of Map Composition

Visual weight• depends on location

– obj weight increases with distance from center

– obj at top are heavier than those at bottom– obj on right are heavier than those on left

• depends on size (Duh!)• depends on color, interest, and isolation

– Red>Blue, Bright>dark

– complex > simple– isolated > groups

• For Example …

Page 20: Elements of Map Composition
Page 21: Elements of Map Composition

Which is better balanced?

Page 22: Elements of Map Composition

More Visual Balance

Artist Engineer

Page 23: Elements of Map Composition

Unequal divisions of space more interesting than equal divisions

Page 24: Elements of Map Composition

Focus

Field

Movement of reader’s eye - upper left to lower right

Page 25: Elements of Map Composition

Using Eye Movement Eye goes left to right

Generally you want the reader to see the map BEFORE seeing the legend – can’t

always do#

Page 26: Elements of Map Composition

St. Louis too far from visual center, balance not bad, however

Better, but a little heavy on right

Balance with legend etc.

Page 27: Elements of Map Composition

Location of St, Louis

Legend

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adfafffdsf

Page 28: Elements of Map Composition

Location of St, Louis

Page 29: Elements of Map Composition
Page 30: Elements of Map Composition

Size / white space problems

Page 31: Elements of Map Composition

Size / white space problems

Page 32: Elements of Map Composition

Text

• Use mixture of upper and lower case• ALL UPPER CASE IS HARDER TO

READ• Use sans serif text

•No fancy fonts• Big print for important stuff• Little print for not so important stuff

Page 33: Elements of Map Composition

Using Color

• Color is tricky• There are definite color preferences• There are definite color combination

preferences• There are standard color codes (like

for planning)• The map should NOT be garish!

Page 34: Elements of Map Composition

So

• Creating maps is a creating a document for a specific purpose -- to communicate something to the reader

• It is an iterative process• There are some basic rules or guides

that can be used – described above an in the on-line course module.

Page 35: Elements of Map Composition

Summary of Guidelines1) Map layout – where are the pieces going

to go – major pieces – visual center – eye path – uneven juxtaposition of parts

a) The map area and what’s in itb) Legend placement (usually to right of mapc) Scale bar, North Arrowd) Balancee) White space

2) Map Title – Large – not always needed

Page 36: Elements of Map Composition

Summary of Guidelines3) Credits (Metadata) usually present4) For FOR557- Author’s name & date!5) Borders and neatlines.

a) Border around ALL map pieces or solid fill

b) Neatlines (or fill) around (in) various pieces

6) Color – tricky – but not garish!

Page 37: Elements of Map Composition

Map Evaluation Criteria

• Graphic Map ……………………………………..50%– Border (or fill)……………10%– White space …………………5%– Balance…………………………...5%– Color………………………………..5%– N arrow, legend …………..10%– Neatlines (or fill)…………..5%– Graphics ……………………….10%

• Total ………………………………………….……….50%

Page 38: Elements of Map Composition

Map Evaluation Criteria

• Title …………………………………………..5%• Legend ………………………………………20%

– All features represented– Only those specific feature types present– Good graphically

• Scale Bar …………………………………..10%• Credits ………………………………… …….5%• Map Works…………………………………10%• Sub Total……………………………………………..50%• Grand

Total……………………………………………………100%

Page 39: Elements of Map Composition

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Page 40: Elements of Map Composition

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Page 41: Elements of Map Composition

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Page 42: Elements of Map Composition

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Rivers/StreamsState Highways

Page 43: Elements of Map Composition

Lewis Roads and Hydro

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Page 44: Elements of Map Composition