- "Cartographic design or map design is the process of crafting the appearance of a map, applying the principles of design and knowledge of how maps are used to create a map that has both aesthetic appeal and practical function."
The process of creating aesthetically pleasing and informative maps that can be easily understood by the intended audience.
Map Projection: A way to represent the three-dimensional surface of the earth on a two-dimensional map.
Scale: The relationship between the distance on a map and the distance on the ground.
Legend: A key that explains the symbols and colors used on the map.
Color Theory: How colors interact and how to integrate them into maps effectively.
Typography: The use of fonts and text on maps for clarity and readability.
Map Symbols: The visual representation of features such as roads, buildings, and bodies of water.
Cartographic Generalization: The process of simplifying and reducing detail in a map without losing important information.
Topographic Maps: Maps that use contour lines to represent changes in elevation.
Cartographic Ethics: Awareness of the impact of maps on social, cultural, and political contexts.
Map Design Principles: The fundamental principles that guide the creation of effective map layouts.
Proportional Symbol Maps: Maps that use symbols of varying size to represent the magnitude of data values.
Choropleth Maps: Maps that use different colors or patterns to represent data values.
Data Mapping: The process of transforming data into visual representations on maps.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Software tools used for the collection, storage, analysis, and visualization of geographic data.
Mapping Software: Applications like Google Maps or ArcGIS that help users create and publish digital maps.
Thematic Cartography: It emphasizes a specific topic or theme, such as population density, land use, transportation, etc., on a map.
Topographic Cartography: This type of cartography deals with depicting landforms and terrain features like elevations, depressions, valleys, mountains, and plains on a map.
Hydrographic Cartography: This type of cartography deals with features such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and all other water bodies and their boundaries.
Geologic Cartography: Geologic Cartography involves the portrayal of the features and processes that build and alter the earth's crust including geological formations, faults, minerals, and rocks.
Nautical Cartography: It deals with the creation of maps specifically for navigating the sea by showing ocean depths, contours, current patterns, and perils to navigation.
Tourist/City Maps: These maps show the local attractions, landmarks, and points of interest within a city or a specific area, which are commonly used for navigation by tourists or visitors.
Military Mapping: Military Mapping involves creating maps for military purposes, including troop movements, fortifications, terrain analysis, and intelligence gathering.
Physical Mapping: Physical Mapping deals with mapping the surface of the earth and the features that it exhibits, including landforms, vegetation, and climatic patterns.
Road Maps: Road maps are created specifically to show roads, highways, and modes of transportation.
Cartograms: Cartograms are used to represent data in a thematic map form, where the geographic area is sized according to a statistical value, such as population or wealth.
General Reference Maps: These maps are created for general reference and show the key features of an area, including boundaries, rivers, lakes, mountains, and other key landmarks.
- "It shares this dual goal with almost all forms of design; it also shares with other design, especially graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology."
- "As a discipline, it integrates design, geography, and geographic information science."
- "Arthur H. Robinson, considered the father of cartography as an academic research discipline in the United States..."
- "...stated that a map not properly designed 'will be a cartographic failure.'"
- "...when considering all aspects of cartography, that 'map design is perhaps the most complex.'"
- "applying the principles of design and knowledge of how maps are used..."
- "...it also shares with other design, especially graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology."
- "...crafting the appearance of a map..."
- "...to create a map that has both aesthetic appeal and practical function."
- "As a discipline, it integrates design, geography, and geographic information science."
- "...it also shares with other design, especially graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology."
- "a map not properly designed..."
- "map design is perhaps the most complex."
- "...it also shares with other design, especially graphic design..."
- "...creating a map that has both aesthetic appeal and practical function."
- "Arthur H. Robinson..."
- "...shares with other design, especially graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology."
- "...a map not properly designed 'will be a cartographic failure.'"
- "Cartographic design or map design is the process..."