Lecture 5: Map Visualization and Online Sharing

Considerations for Map Design

1. Audience

2. Medium

3. Purpose

Audience

• Who will use the map?

• General vs. specific

• Familiarity with the area

• Demographics

• Level of cartographic knowledge or training

Medium

• How the map will be displayed

• Print vs. digital

• Static vs. dynamic

• Device (desktop, tablet, phone, multiple)

Purpose

• What the map will be used for

• Reference vs. thematic

• Descriptive vs. persuasive

Reference Maps

• Display natural and man-made features of general interest

• Widespread public use

Thematic Maps (Types)

• Spatial variations of a data variable

• Quantitative or qualitative

  • Chloropleth map

    • Represents data values across polygons

    • Colour typically represents the magnitude of the variable

    • Data must be standardized for different-sized units

  • Graduated symbols map

    • Symbols of varying sizes represent ranges of data

    • Data standardization is optional

  • Dot density map

    • One dot represents a set value

    • Show patterns of spatial distribution

Data Classification Methods

1. Equal Interval

2. Quantiles

3. Natural Breaks

4. Manual

Visual Hierarchy

1. Purpose

• Identify intellectual hierarchy in map (i.e., What information is most important? What should be emphasized?)

2. Map symbolization

• Use intellectual hierarchy to inform visual hierarchy (vertical way of distributing information)

3. Map layout

• Construct map layout to complement mapped data (horizontal way of distributing data)

Map Elements

1. Frame line

2. Mapped data and area

3. Title and subtitle

4. Legend

5. Scale

6. Orientation

7. Data source

8. Authorship (name and year)