In the five years since the publication of the first edition of A Guide to Effective Map Design, cartography and software have become further intertwined. However, the initial motivation for publishing the first edition is still valid: many GISers enter the field without so much as one hour of design instruction in their formal education. Yet they are then tasked with creating one the most effective, easily recognized communication tools: a map.
See What’s New in the Second Edition
Projection theory
Hexagonal binning
Big Data point density maps
Scale dependent map design
3D building modeling
Digital cartography and its best practices
Updated graphics and references
Study questions and lab exercises at the end of each chapter
In this second edition of a bestseller, author Gretchen Peterson takes a "don’t let the technology get in the way" approach to the presentation, focusing on the elements of good design, what makes a good map, and how to get there, rather than specific software tools. She provides a reference that you can thumb through time and again as you create your maps. Copiously illustrated, the second edition explores novel concepts that kick-start your pursuit of map-making excellence. The book doesn’t just teach you how to design and create maps, it teaches you how to design and create better maps.

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Trademark Names xvii

1. Introduction 1

On Design Experience 2

Constructive Criticism 3

What Is a Geoprofessional? 4

Tick-Tock Goes the Clock 4

Why Good Design Matters 6

Audience 6

How to Use This Book 7

Skipping the How-Tos to Get Straight to the Good Stuff 8

Relative Map Scales 8

Endnotes 9

2. Creative Inspiration 11

You Can Be Creative 12

Doing 13

Seeing 13

An Example of How to See 14

Applying All of This to Your Map 15

Summary and Final Prodding 17

Creative Maps 17

A Few Places to Start Seeing Art from Your Desktop 18

Endnotes 18

Exercise 19

3. Layout Design 21

All Together Now 21

Layout Checklist 24

Element Details and Examples 25

      Title 27

      Subtitle 29

      Legend 30

      Maps 34

      North Arrow 35

      Date 36

      Authorship 37

      Scale Bars 38

      Page Border 40

      Neat Lines 40

      Graticules 42

      Network Path 43

      Disclaimer 44

      Data Sources 45

      Data Citations 46

      Logos 46

      Graphs 47

      Photographs 49

      Graphics 50

      Map Number 51

      Tables 52

      Copyright 53

      Projection 54

      Inset Map 55

      Descriptive Text 56

Style 56

Context 57

Arrangement 60

Emphasis Maps and Wireframes 62

Simplicity versus Complexity 64

Margins 65

Balance 67

Endnotes 69

Suggestions for Further Reading 69

Study Questions 69

Exercises 70

4. Fonts 71

Choosing the Right Font 71

Serif versus Sans Serif 72

      Decorative 76

      Script 76

      Letter Height, Width, Line Thickness 77

Modifying the Font 78

      Point Size 79

      Other Modifications 82

Placing the Text 87

Text Direction 88

Study Questions 92

Resources 93

Endnotes 93

Contents ix

5. Color 95

Color Theory 97

RGB 99

Hexadecimal 100

HSV 101

HSL 101

CMYK 102

CIELAB 103

Rules 103

      Figure–Ground 104

      Five Shades Are Enough Already 105

      Color Gradients 107

      What Color Are You Today? Color Connotations 110

      Color Blending, or My Eyes Are Playing Tricks on Me! 112

      Contrast 114

      Color Everywhere Is Tiring 115

      Ensuring Readability for Color Vision Deficiency 116

Inspiration 119

Grayscale Modern 120

Endnotes 121

Resources 121

Study Questions 123

Exercises 123

6. Features 125

Roads 125

      Colors 125

Rivers and Streams 127

      Colors 127

      Showing Hierarchy 129

      Showing Attributes 130

      Labels 131

Bodies of Water 134

      Colors 134

      Labels 135

Cities and Towns 138

      Colors 138

      Points 139

      Special Effects 139

      Labels 140

      Polygons 140

Political Boundaries 141

      Colors 141

      Conventions 142

Fuzzy Features 143

      Colors 143

      Technique 144

Elevation and Hillshade 150

      Hillshade Colors 150

Elevation Colors 150

      Hillshade 150

      Spot Height Labels 152

      3D Elevation 152

Parcels 152

      Colors 152

Currents 160

      Colors 160

Wind 161

      Colors 161

Temperature 168

      Colors 168

Land Use and Land Cover 169

      Colors 169

Trails 172

      Colors 172

Utilities 180

      Colors 180

      Field Mapping 181

Impervious Surface 182

      Colors 182

Basins 183

      Colors 183

Buildings 188

      Colors 188

Soils 192

      Colors 192

      Soil Datasets 193

      How to Show 194

      How Many Categories Is Too Many? 194

      From 2D to 3D (and in between) 196

Geology 197

Endnotes 203

Suggestions for Further Reading 204

Study Questions 205

Exercises 206

7. Static Maps 207

DPI 207

Export Formats and Workflow 209

Slides 210

      Presentation Style: Fast or Slow, Busy or Simple? 211

      Fast and Simple 211

      Slow and Simple 211

      Tips for Creating Simple Map Slides 212

      Slow and Busy 214

      Time and Research Wanted! 214

Reports 215

      Where to Put the Map 216

      Margin Elements for Report Maps 217

Posters 219

      Summary Posters 219

      Detailed Posters 220

Dual Purposes 221

Endnotes 221

Suggestions for Further Reading 221

Study Questions 222

Exercise 222

8. Projections 223

Distortions: Where Projections Fall Flat 227

Map Considerations: Choosing a Suitable Projection 229

Directional Types 232

Choosing a Projection in the Real World 234

Endnotes 237

Resources 237

Study Questions 237

Exercises 238

9. Zoom-Level Design 239

Zoom Levels and Scales 244

Zoom Fields 246

Incremental Styling 247

Repetition 250

Testing a Multizoom Design 251

Endnotes 254

Resources 254

Study Questions 255

Exercises 255

Appendix A: Layout Sketches 257

Appendix B: Map Examples 269

Appendix C: Color Swatches 279

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