Output and information

communication
Map designing

Output and information communications

Map design and layout

Goals: To learn about map design principles in order to make maps that
function well for their intended purpose.
Objectives: When you are finished this lecture you should gain the
following:
Mapping Science knowledge:
You will learn about map design , important aspects of map and types of map and the elements that
are typically added to a map including:

Titles
Legends
Explanatory text, source statements
Inset and locator maps
Scale
Directional Indicators
Neat lines and borders
Grids and Graticules
ArcGIS skills:
You will learn how to add each of the above map elements to a map layout (for example:
about setting the map scale)
You will especially learn how to manipulate the data frame properties where much of these elements
are implemented.

Task:
You are responsible to create an 210 x 297 mm(A4) map of a Nepal that
has 3 different map views: 1) political, 2) population, and 3) physical.
You are also required to have all the elements added to the map

What is a map?
A graphic depiction of all or part
of a geographic realm in which the
real-world features have been
replaced by symbols in their
correct spatial location at a
reduced scale.

power line

Map function in GIS

Storage
Temporary communication
Intermediate check of data
Final report

To be effective, must be
correctly designed and
constructed.

The Parts of a Map: Map

Elements

The medium is the message

Paper
Film
Mylar
Monitor
Projection
Broadcast TV

THE DISPLAY IS PART

OF THE
SYMBOLIZATION

Cartographic Elements
Medium
Figure
Ground
Reference information

Cartographic Elements (2)

Border
Neatline
Insets
Scale up
Scale down
Metadata e.g. index
Off-map references

Cartographic Elements (3)

Page coordinates
Ground elements
Graticule/Grid
North arrow

Cartographic Elements (4)

Figure
Point/Line/Area symbols
Text
Place Names
Title

Cartographic Elements (5)

Reference Information
Scale
Projection(s)
Sources (2)
Credits
Legend
Reliability

Text: Selection and

Placement

Choosing Elements

Map research
Map compilation
Worksheet
Selection
Placement
Layout
Tools in GIS not ideal

Choosing a Map Type

Cartographers have designed
hundreds of map types: methods of
cartographic representation.
Not all GISs allow all types.
Most have a set of basic types
Depends heavily on the dimension of
the data to be shown in the map
figure.

Choosing the Wrong Type

Fairly common GIS error.
Due to lack of knowledge about
cartographic options.
Can still have perfect symbolization.
Possibility of misinformation
Definite reduction in communication
effectiveness.

Map Types: Point Data

Reference
Topographic
Dot
Picture Symbol
Graduated Symbol

Reference Map

Topographic Map

Dot Map

Picture Symbol Map

Graduated Symbol Map

Map Types: Line Data

Network
Flow
Isoline
Reference

Origin of Flow Maps

Harness, H. D. (1837).
Atlas to Accompany the
Second Report of the
Railway Commissioners,
Ireland. Dublin: Irish
Railway Commission.

Flow Map

Map Types: Area Data

Choropleth
Area qualitative
Stepped surface
Hypsometric
Dasymetric
Reference

Area Qualitative Map

Stepped Statistical Surface

Map Types: Volume Data

[Isoline, Stepped Surface,
Hypsometric]
Gridded fishnet
Realistic perspective
Hill-shaded
Image map

Isoline Map

Fishnet or Gridded Perspective View

Realistic Perspective View

Hill-shaded Relief Map

Image Map

Map Types: Time

Multiple views
Animation
Moving map
Fly thru
Fly by

Cartographic Animations

Map Type and

Dimensionality

Choosing Types
Check the data
Continuous vs. Discrete
Accuracy & Precision
Reliability
Dimension (Point, Line, Area, Volume)
Scale of Measurment (Nominal etc.)
GIS capability
May need to supplement GIS software

Data Scaling (Stevens)

Nominal (Name of a place)
Ordinal (Small, med., large town)
Interval (Arbitrary zero e.g. Sea
Level)
Ratio (Absolute zero e.g. dollars,
densities)

Example: Choropleth
Mapping
Data should be AREA (e.g. States)
Data should not suffer from area
effect.
Population?
Per capita Income?
Elevation? Temperature?

Boundaries unambiguous.
Areas non-overlapping.

The Need for Design

To appear professional and avoid errors,
GIS maps should reflect cartographic
knowledge about map design.
A map has a visual grammar or structure
that must be understood and used if the best
map design is desired.
Cartographic convention (e.g. forests
should be green).

Symbolization Errors with

a GIS

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Is a partly mental, partly physical

process in which maps are
conceived and created (a verb)
The word design can also be a noun
A map can have a particular design,
but design in this sense is only the
end result of the design process
Good map design requires that map
elements be placed in a balanced
arrangement within the neat line.

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Successful cartographic design

Results in maps that effectively
communicate geographic information

An ineffective
communicator

An effective
communicator

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Cartographic design involves

Conceptualization of the map
Visualization of the map
Construction of the map

A partly mental, partly physical

process

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Is driven by two goals

To create a map that appropriately
serves the map user and the maps
intended use
To create a map that communicates
efficiently, with simplicity and clarity

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Is directed by rules, guidelines,

and conventions, but is relatively
unstructured
A single, optimal solution to a given
mapping problem generally does not
exist
Several acceptable solutions are
possible
Good design is simply the best
solution among many, given a set of
constraints imposed by the problem
(Dent 1999)

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Cartographic design is difficult!

If it were easy, expert systems would
not be used to design most maps
Expert systems are applications that
make decisions based on rules and
guidelines obtained from
cartographic experts
Cartographic expert systems are
currently limited to narrow aspects of
cartographic design, and lack the
ability to completely and consistently
design top-quality maps

CARTOGRAPHIC DESIGN

Build a foundation of cartographic

design skills by following the
specific rules and guidelines
presented here
Consider alternative approaches
once you master these rules and
guidelines
Always be prepared to explain or
defend your design decisions

Map Design
-Visual Balance
Visual balance is affected by:
the "weight" of the symbols
the visual hierarchy of the symbols and
elements
the location of the elements with
respect to each other and the visual
center of the map.

Symbol weight
Line weight

Pattern

Shading

Hue

Visual center

5% of height
5% of height

Landscape

Portrait

Visual Layout
Title Here

Title Here

Eye expects (1) balance and (2) alignment

Color and Map Design

Color is a complex visual variable
and in a GIS is specified by RGB or
HSI values.
Red, Green, Blue are additive
primaries.
Magenta, Cyan and Yellow are
subtractive primaries.
Saturation and Intensity map better
onto values than hue.

Color Primaries

Subtractive Primaries

Additive Primaries

Dimensions of Color
HUE

SATURATION

INTENSITY

Simultaneous Contrast

http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Geometry/Contrast.shtml

Text placement
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara

Path right

Path Down

L a g o o n

Scale and Generalization

Smaller scale means fewer features.
Smaller scale means smoother
features.
Smaller scale means combining
features.
Smaller scale means displacing
features.
Often scales are mixed or
overgeneralized.

 Symbolizing is used to represent features as symbols, and not in their true scale.
Of course, the choice of symbol depends on the scale of the map.
For example, it is common that cities are represented as points or dots on world
maps, and roads as lines.

If possible, symbols that are universal should be used, to increase the

understanding and usefulness of the map.
Also, known symbols that are already associated to principles or ideas
should be used, as it will facilitate the communication process.

 When possible, the form or shape of the symbols should

also reflect the shape of the object or feature in reality.
This automatically helps to viewer understand the map.

 Symbols and/or graphic elements should also reflect the size or importance of the
features in reality.
The linear symbols used to represent a motorway should be larger than the linear
symbols used to represent smaller roads.

As the scale of the map decreases, it becomes more and more

difficult to represent features in true size on maps. For example, a
10 meter wide road could be symbolized with a 2mm line on a
1:5000 scale map, and a 0.2mm line on a 1:50 000 scale map.

Simplification is used to reduce the size of databases, bringing out

important characteristics while removing unnecessary details.

When objects are enlarged, they often overlap with each other. Therefore,
spatial algorithms are used to move or even deform the objects in order to
eliminate these spatial conflicts.

When data is interpolated or extrapolated, continuous surfaces are

created from discrete measurements.

Map Design and

Layout

The Map Design Process

Choosing a Map Size
Elements of a map composition
The Design Filter
Planar Organization of Visual
Elements

Map Design and

Layout

Standard Paper Sizes

Size

Width x Height
(mm)

Width x Height (in)

4A0

1682 x 2378 mm

66.2 x 93.6 in

2A0

1189 x 1682 mm

46.8 x 66.2 in

A0

841 x 1189 mm

33.1 x 46.8 in

A1

594 x 841 mm

23.4 x 33.1 in

A2

420 x 594 mm

16.5 x 23.4 in

A3

297 x 420 mm

11.7 x 16.5 in

A4

210 x 297 mm

8.3 x 11.7 in

A5

148 x 210 mm

5.8 x 8.3 in

A6

105 x 148 mm

4.1 x 5.8 in

A7

74 x 105 mm

2.9 x 4.1 in

A8

52 x 74 mm

2.0 x 2.9 in

A9

37 x 52 mm

1.5 x 2.0 in

A10

26 x 37 mm

1.0 x 1.5 in

Map Design and

Layout

Page Orientation
Portrait

Landscape

Changing Page Size & Orientation in

ArcMap

Map Design and

Layout

Elements of a Map
Composition

Title and Subtitle

Legend
Scale Bar
Inset Map
Credit Note
Date
Logo
North Arrow

Mapped and Unmapped

Areas
Borders and Neatlines
Graticules and Grids
Map Symbols
Place Names and Labeling

Map Layout

Title
What
Where
When

Titles are important map elements, and

type size should be two to three times
the size of the type on the map itself. A
subtitle, in smaller type, is appropriate
for longer titles or more complex map
subjects.

Title -

Usually draws
attention by virtue of its
dominant size; serves to focus
attention on the primary
content of the map; may be
omitted where captions are
provided but are not part of
the map itself.

Adding Titles in ArcMap

Legends
The legend is the graphic guide
that you provide to your audience.
You do not always need to provide
symbols for all of the information
used in your maps.

Legend - The principal

symbol-referent description
on the map; subordinate to
the title, but a key element in
map reading; serves to
describe all unknown symbols
used.

Adding Legends in ArcMap

Scale
Large scale maps should always include a scale. Maps that
inform the user about differences in distance or area should
also include a scale. Small scale maps may not need a scale,
as scale varies greatly with world or continental projections.
Verbal and visual scales make more sense to the average
reader. Include a visual scale if the map will be reprinted or
resized.

Map Scale - Usually included on a

thematic map; it provides the
reader with important information
regarding linear relations on the
map; can be graphic, verbal, or
expressed as an RF.

Map Design and Layout

More on Map Scale

Map scale is a unit of measurement on the map
related to the appropriate number of same units
on the Earths surface and is usually stated as a
representative fraction.

For example:

1/24,000 or 1:24,000 scale

One (1) unit on the map represents 24,000 units

on the ground (1 cm = 24,000 cm which equates to

Adding Scale in ArcMap

Inset Maps

Inset Map or Location Diagram

This informs the map user of the
context of the map, i.e. the big
picture. This will keep the user
from having to guess the location
of the map.

Adding Inset Maps in ArcMap

Locator Maps

Adding Locator Maps in ArcMap

Explanatory Text

Sources and Credits

Informational or Credit Note Can Include the maps data source,

an indication of their reliability,
dates, and other explanatory
material.

Date Use if the time of a maps

publication is a factor. This may
also work well as part of the Subtitle.

Adding Explanatory Text in ArcMap

Text tools in ArcMap could be better
Insert Text from the menu has very limited options
Instead use the text tools on the draw menu (see below)
Use New Rectangle Text tool if you want text wrapping

Company Identifier or Logo

Take credit where credits due.
Make sure to use a high quality
logo, especially for partnering
agencies.

Directional Indicator

Indicating Direction in ArcMap

change map N
orientation in data
frame properties

Map Design and

Layout

Elements of a Map
Composition

Borders and Neatlines - Both optional;

borders can serve to restrain eye movement;
neatlines are finer lines than borders, drawn
inside them and often rendered as part of the
graticule; used mostly for decoration.

Borders

Adding Borders in ArcMap

Map Design and

Layout

Graticules and Grids

- Often omitted from thematic maps today;
should be included if their locational information
is crucial to the maps purpose; usually treated
as background or secondary information. Grids
show the same information, but display it across
the body of the map and not just along the
neatline.

Adding Grids & Graticules in ArcMap

Grids& Graticules
are added in the
data frame
properties

Coordinate values
will be added to the
boundary of map