elements of map composition

Elements of Map Composition

ORHow 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– Sort of an outline

• Graphic design

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).

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?

Elements of a thematic map

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

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Gradicule

Border

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Purpose, metadata

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This map to be used to evaluate sites for future paper plant which has to be near a substation and a highway.

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No Placenames

ArcView Export screw up in 8.3!

Only went to 3000 m in Layout!

Too Much White Space!

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

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

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…

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

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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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 …

Which is better balanced?

More Visual Balance

Artist Engineer

Unequal divisions of space more interesting than equal divisions

Focus

Field

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

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#

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

Better, but a little heavy on right

Balance with legend etc.

Location of St, Louis

Legend

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Location of St, Louis

Size / white space problems

Size / white space problems

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

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!

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.

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

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!

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%

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%

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