The design and composition of persuasive maps

Persuasive maps are ubiquitous in society, yet cartographers have largely neglected to conduct serious, holistic research on them. Persuasive maps represent a form of visual communication that differs markedly from scientific geovisualization. First, many of these maps' communicative goals are anathema to those of scientific representation. Second, many persuasive maps ignore and defy established cartographic conventions. This article argues two things. First, the cartographic discipline can gain insight about how maps communicate information from the longitudinal and holistic analysis of persuasive maps. By comparing the differences and similarities of persuasive maps to scientific geovisualizations, researchers can begin to understand how persuasive maps communicate differently than scientific ones. Second, breaking persuasive maps down into composite parts may make it possible to identify persuasive map norms (i.e., methods of design that are embraced by producers of persuasive maps). The results of a content analysis of 256 persuasive maps are discussed. The article concludes that it may be possible to take the most statistically significant results from this study to begin identifying different rhetorical styles of persuasive maps.     

John Keates and Recreation Mapping: Personal Recollections

Abstract

John Keates is very well known for his numerous scholarly contributions to cartography as an academic discipline and science. However, throughout his career, he was also very actively involved in the design and production of maps. Mostly these were specialized thematic maps produced as the result of scientific research in the field sciences, especially in geology, glaciology and vegetation studies. However, during the 1970s he was much involved in the design and production of a considerable number of maps for recreation purposes, including maps for orienteering. Many of these maps were regarded at that time as being extremely innovative in terms of their cartographic design and layout. The article outlines the development of what became known as the 'Glasgow' style of map design John Keates' involvement with recreation maps in the 1970s.     

地图集认知功能设计实践——以《中国市售水果蔬菜农药残留水平地图集》为例

地图可视化设计常包含地图认知功能设计、信息传输功效设计、地图视觉效果设计。其中地图认知功能设计是地图集的设计中最基本且最重要的环节。在此环节中,原始数据经过数据形态分析、数据处理与转化、制图模型的建立等过程,形成制图数据以及地图集的内容体系结构。本文以《中国市售水果蔬菜农药残留水平地图集》的设计为例,展示了地图集的地图认知功能设计过程。这个过程体现了地图信息论、地图模型论和地图空间认知论的思想,蕴含了地图的思想美、科学美、技术美和功能美。     

Representation and its Relationship with Cartographic Visualization

A research agenda is presented which addresses the current role and potential of map displays. By considering the geospatial data used in visualization, the form and design of maps, the purposes for which map displays are created, the nature of the map user community, and the technology employed to visualize geospatial data, a thorough overview of the nature of cartographic visualization is given. Under the same themes, and sourced in cartographic tradition, cartographic practice and technological opportunities, a series of possible research avenues are highlighted. The important links between representation and the user interface, map user cognition and the geospatial database are stressed.     

Positioning Names on Maps

Prof. Dr. Eduard Imhof, dean of European cartographers, has been an astute student of the esthetic-scientific characteristics of the cartographic method. In this paper published 13 years ago, he draws upon his long experience in map design and production to formulate a series of precepts about positioning or locating the lettering on maps in relation to the various functional aspects of the map and the individual named features. Noting that legibility and clarity of the map depend on good name positioning—each name having only one optimum position on the map—he encourages the use of a graphic draft of lettering to determine this position.     

Analysing Product-Specific Behaviour to Support Process Dependent Updates in a Dynamic Spatial Updating Model

A scale‐independent database that allows derived maps to be dynamically updated from a centrally maintained data source is an appealing alternative to traditional map revision techniques, which by today's standards are costly and inefficient. This paper presents a dynamic spatial updating model that supports automated updating of non‐standard maps in a scale‐independent database‐centric map production environment. Maps derived from the database are not separate data sets, but rather active views of the database. Each derived map is displayed in a unique way by implementing cartographic operations at the map level. While the operations applied require user involvement for strategic cartographic decisions, and algorithmic initiation and control, the technique allows geographic data to be processed cartographically without affecting the geometric integrity of the database. Each time a derived map is opened it retrieves the spatial data (and updates) from the database and applies the unique cartographic representation methods that persist on the individual derived maps. Database updates are automatically triggered to cartographic products, as process dependent updates, according to their individual product‐specific behaviour. This paper investigates product‐specific behaviour (product multiplicities) and the cartographic processing requirements to support dynamic spatial updating techniques in an object‐oriented map publishing environment. These techniques are implemented in an off‐the‐shelf software environment using ArcGIS.     

Towards a Multiobjective View of Cartographic Design

Cartographers must make numerous decisions during the process of constructing a map. In the present era, when spatial data sets are abundant and mapping software is accessible to the general public, cartographic knowledge developed in the literature is under-used and threatened with irrelevance. We view cartographic design as a multiobjective problem solving process that must meet many, often conflicting, goals. The application of this multiobjective view to cartographic design will help a new generation of cartographers develop design capabilities. We illustrate our concepts using several thematic mapping examples.     

Change Blindness in Animated Choropleth Maps: An Empirical Study

Animated choropleth maps enable cartographers to visualize time-series data in a way that congruently depicts change over time. However, users have difficulty apprehending information encoded within these displays, and often fail to detect important changes between adjacent scenes. Failures of visual experience, such as change blindness, threaten the effectiveness of dynamic geovisual displays, in which several important changes can occur simultaneously throughout the display. Animated choropleth maps require viewers not only to notice changes but also understand symbolic meanings encoded in rapid transitions between scenes. Graphic interpolation between key frames, also known as “in-betweening” or “tweening”, smoothes transitions and lengthens the duration of the transition between scenes in a dynamic sequence. Previous cartographic literature suggests tweening could be a potential solution for change blindness in the cartographic context. This article examines this issue of change blindness in the cartographic context and reports on a human subjects investigation designed to evaluate the influence of cartographic design variables on map readers' change detection abilities. Our results indicate that 1) map readers have difficulty detecting changes in animated choropleth maps, 2) map readers over-estimate their own change detection abilities, and 3) tweening influences the legibility of change in animated choropleth maps.     

Cartographic Design Matters – A Comparison of Thematic Polygon Design

The number of web services providing cartographic data is increasing. A main challenge is to enable a user to combine these services, not only from a technical perspective, but also from a cartographic one. One common use case for these services is to create mashups based on thematic polygons on top of background maps. In this study we compare four cartographic designs of thematic polygons: only boundaries, transparencies, hatches and icons. The aim of the comparison is to investigate whether the designs are good for identifying the extent of the polygons and if the design disturbs the reading of the background map. The comparison is based on an eye-tracking study, where 24 participants performed polygon identification tasks as well as background search tasks. The study revealed that hatches were more efficient than the other designs for polygon identification. Hatches had significantly shorter total fixation times as well as scanpath lengths, possibly since the participants were able to identify the extent of the polygon solely based on the interior (i.e. the hatches), while for the other designs the participants were extensively reliant on the boundaries. However, the results also indicate that the hatches design disturbs the reading of the background map more than the other designs; hatches also appear visually unpleasant for many users. Since each design had its strengths and weaknesses, we recommend producers of services for thematic data to provide several designs so users can select an appropriate design for their own use cases.     

Deconstructing Galbraith: A Geostatistical Analysis of Cartographic Intent

Abstract

This study uses cartometric techniques to reveal cartographic design considerations operative in Frank H. Galbraith’s 1897 railway mail service training maps. Galbraith’s maps make extensive use of humorous cartouches intended to serve as mnemonic devices for learning railway mail service routes. Poisson and quadrat point pattern analyses are performed on all eight maps in the series to determine whether the mimetic symbols are clustered along the railway mail routes or dispersed throughout the mapped spaces to achieve better graphic balance. Evidence overwhelmingly indicates that the placement of the mnemonic symbols was primarily driven by design considerations. The study therefore proves that it is possible to use cartometric techniques to deconstruct the map document to determine the cartographic design principles operative during the map's construction.     

Map Libraries

Colour distortion, which is caused by the unavoidable mismatch between a map’s gamut and a device’s gamut, negatively affects the semiotic quality of maps. Cartographic communication often suffers from undesirable colour inconsistency. This method models cartographic colour reproduction as a constrained transform problem, namely, adapting a map’s gamut to fit a device’s gamut while preserving the semiotic quality. First, the characteristics of the map’s gamut are investigated by considering cartographic principles, and the fundamental concerns of preserving semiotic quality are proposed. Then, the self-organizing map method is introduced to iteratively optimize the cartographic colour reproduction. We implement this method and evaluate it based on a series of thematic maps. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm offers better results than two alternatives in terms of facilitating cartographic colour reproduction.     

Contemporary Statistical Maps—Evidence of Spatial and Graphic Ignorance

Statistical maps are now produced in greater numbers and by persons in a wider range of disciplines than ever before. It is unfortunate that this increased production has not been accompanied by an improvement in map quality. All too frequently, contemporary mapmakers evidence a lack of understanding of the primary function of statistical maps, the symbolic language of mapping, and the effect that data manipulation plays in map communication. Coupled with these deficiencies there is a general lack of appreciation of the basic elements of graphic design. Furthermore, the expanded use of the computer in mapmaking seems to be related to and may even foster low quality since programmers are generally untutored in cartographic design and communication.     

电子地图符号体系与符号库标准的研究

在地理信息技术发展的推动下,电子地图的制作和应用日益普及,电子地图符号的规范化势在必行。在传统纸张地图图式规范的基础上,参照国际类似的标准文本,为使电子地图符号适应技术环境和视觉环境的变化,我们对此进行了适当改进,原则继承纸张地图符号的内容分类体系和形状分类体系,延续阅读地图的信息传输和读者认同的习惯。在深入审视符号对视觉产生的复杂作用的基础上,对基本符号实体内容适当简化,对色彩、图元组合关系适当调整,在通用地理信息系统软件平台上制作了基本地理底图的符号库标准草案。     

Gradation as a Communication Device in Area-Class Maps

This paper proposes a methodology to assess gradation as a cartographic tool for communicating information in area-class maps. The communication model is used as a theoretical foundation, suggesting distinction between errors that occur in encoding and decoding of geographic information. The proposed methodology begins with the determination of a target level of encoding error. Map alternatives are constrained to achieve this target, with gradation considered as one variable in the map production process. The result is a series of maps of equal encoding accuracy but varying in the degree of gradation represented. The individual maps of the series can then be evaluated in terms of decoding accuracy. The methodology is demonstrated by producing a series of alternative forest region maps of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey based on U.S. Forest Service data on tree genus distributions. The series ranges from a 4-class graded area-class map to a 13-class crisp map. The results show gradation to be a viable alternative to the proliferation of map classes as a means of cartographic communication.     

地图数学定义的研究

在地图内容和形式数学表示的基础上研究了地图的数学定义。由于引入隐式地图和变换条件，故所有储存地图信息的载体均可属于地图的范围，从而使地图定义获得了广义的解释和精确的表达     

地图的信息表达与美学思维

长期以来人们偏重于地图的技术研究,导致地图的艺术研究进程落后于技术研究进程。近几年这种情况虽有改善,但对于地图的美学问题研究还是相对偏少。本文从地图的信息表达与美学思维角度出发,从地图的语言、技术、文化及创新4个方面探讨了地图与美学思维融合的问题,并提出了地图学与美学相结合的地图美学论,以期得到适合地图的美学设计。     

Towards Ubiquitous Cartography

Computer-generated maps have become commonplace over the past decade. Most internet search engines, for example, have the ability to generate maps in response to spatial queries and routes between specified origins and destinations. Advances in mobile computing technologies provide access to these mapping capabilities from virtually any location on the Earth's surface. Maps and map-making have become ubiquitous, and this phenomenon requires cartographers to rethink basic concepts about map design and map use. In this special issue we present five research projects that are focused on the emerging field of ubiquitous cartography. These projects were selected, in part, because they are representative of key research challenges that face the cartographic research community. In this introductory paper, key terms are defined and research challenges outlined. By way of this collected set of papers, ubiquitous cartography is presented as a new and important arena for cartographic research.     

地图视觉感受理论在电子地图设计中的应用

简要介绍了电子地图的概念及地图视觉感受理论的研究内容,与纸质地图相比较,分析了电子地图的读图与视觉感受环境,探讨了电子地图视觉感受的研究内容与实验方法,认为地图视觉感受理论对电子地图的设计具有指导意义。     

增强地图服务,做大地理信息板块

回顾了北京市测绘设计研究院二十多年地理信息产业的发展历史,分析了所面临的机遇与挑战,认为空间数据的可视化输出-地图生产是地理信息产业的主要任务之一。搞好这项工作应建立GIS数据库到地图数据库的双向通道;扩展地图数据库的地图制图和桌面出版功能;编制好系列基础底图和社会公众普遍需要的普通地图、政区图、地名图、交通旅游图,逐步实现编制导航地图,争取导航电子地图资质;做好用户需求调查,编制若干专题地图产品;开发影像地图、三维地图、实景地图等地理信息新品种;跟踪国家开展的各类普查或调查项目,编制高科技含量的地图集。