Geography 59Synthesizing ideas

Guides available on class siteMap Critique Exercise (in-class) Work on Lab 5 (if time remains)

June 7, 2007

Types of maps covered

● Reference Maps– Scientific publications (regions)– Navigation– Roadmaps

● Thematic Maps– Choropleth Map– Dasymetric Map– Dot Map– Proportional Symbol Maps

Reference Maps

● Day-to-day usage● Not data intensitive● May be produced in drawing programs● Best with reliable basemap (not a derived

basemap)● Sometimes it is hard to get a basemap● Case-by-case exceptions are ok.

Thematic Maps: Choropleth

Thematic Maps: Dasymetric

Thematic Maps: Dot Map

Dr. John Snow's Cholera Map (1854)Dot rep. disease occurrenceX rep water pump Above: Cropland harvested (1949)

Below: Cell phone tower placement

Thematic Maps: Proportional Symbol Maps

Thematic Maps: Flow Map

Illustratrates movement, flow, load – this shows telecommunication patterns

Map Elements - Review

● Neatline/Frameline – same or separate?● Title, Sub-title – Think about type placement.● Legend/Key to symbols – when is it important?● Scale – do you always need this?● Orientation (North Arrow)● Source of data (if needed)● Accompanying text – do you need it? Time?● Author, Date prepared

Map Element Hierarchy

IVOther important map elements

5

IIIMap feature: water4

II-IIIExplanatory information

3-4

IIMain feature: land2

ITitle, legend, labels, symbols

I

IThematic SymbolsI

Visual LevelObjectIntellectual Level

Map Symbols

● Pictographic (may be representative)– Medical Facilties – Restroom is shown by Man/Woman sign

Map Symbols

● Geometric Symbols– Circles, stars, other basic shapes– Not representational– May be varied in space (3D maps), location, size,

spacing, shade, texture to express different ideas● Symbols may be varied in size

– City size/categories– Proportional symbol maps – built-in variation

Map Aesthetics

Map Aesthetics

Maps should have “harmony” within themselves. An ugly map might be accurate, but is less likely to inspire confidence.

-- John K. Wright, a noted map critic

• “Harmony”

• Composition

• Clarity

Visual Elements• Balance among

elements - where is the center of the page

• Contrast among elements– Lines– Textures– Value– Color– Details

Reader’s Eye-Movement (that’s not their eye! Right-to-left languages are NOT included)

focus

field

fringe

Arrange elements accordingly

See course web site

● Tips on type placement (as per last week)● Tips on acheiving ● Tips on constrast (Illustrator how-to)● Figure-ground relationship - huh?

Figure-Ground relationship

● FIGURE: The part of the map to which we pay attention. The subject matter, the features to which viewers must notice

● GROUND: What is not figure is ground.

Example: City blocks are the figure

See examples provided earlier in the quarter (also available on the class site)

Colors

Basic ideas:● Representative colors● Data type (e.g. binary)● Sequential data (gradients)● Relate trend to color if possible (numbers)

Other thoughts on color

● Colorblind users– Use tools (ColorBrewer, on class site) to help

determine what colors are ok for colorblink users● Elderly users● Culturally sensitive colors (offensive, biased?)

Typefaces

–Placement of lettering• Try to achieve “harmony”: use minimal

variation in type, clean appearance

• Focus on legibility

Type rules: point features

Type rules: line features

● Avoid upside-down type

● Avoid stretching out too much

● Place text from bottom-to-top, but first try to place horizontally to ease reading

Type rules: use this when in doubt