Cartography 5007, Mod 2 - Typography

 Welcome to Module 2.

 The focus of this module is on an introduction to the essential map elements, with emphasis on typography. That is, appropriate labeling conventions, principles, and design choices with relatively simple subject matter for the display of these elements. 

First, what are the essential elements? They include but aren't always limited to the following: 

Title, Scale Bar, Legend, Orientation, Frame or Neatline, Composition Information (Cartographer, Data Sources, Date).

All of these elements are presented in the map below, and in future modules we will start adding things like graticules, gridlines or other locational aides. But before getting into the map, a few key notes about typography. 

 The objectives here were to understand and employ different types of labels for different feature types. Specifically, points, lines, and area features. Each of these is represented through the Cities, Rivers, and Marshes presented in the map below. Each of these also has unique considerations for effective labeling. 

• Point features have a hierarchy of positioning starting with the upper right of the point, and working from upper to lower on either side or top central and bottom central. 
• Line features can have subtle curving or tilting to contour to the line itself, so long as the label NEVER ends up upside down. 
• Area features may be large enough to fully encompass the label in a centralized manner, or it may be such that the label is external and has a tail to connect it to the areal feature. 

Regardless of the feature, there are some background factors to take into account. We want to avoid placing labels over or in the way of multiple elements on the map. The placement of one should not overlap or obscure another element. Condensed areas should include inset maps or other tails to call out specific items. 

Then there are specific design characteristics for the labels. for example, the usage of different font types, including serifs or not, that is the pointed tails at the end of the swish of letters. to be bold, italic, or haloed. Different types of font applications call for different emphases. In the map below, I have used Gil Sans as my primary non-serifed font choice. Italics only show up for the water features. In terms of recognizability, the Capital, County Seats, Marshes, and then Rivers are designed to be noticed in that order. This is accomplished through changes in font size as well as halos and color blending with background features to deemphasize some things from others. 

Florida is the emphasis for this map, with several larger cities (specifically the county seats) being highlighted. Additionally, numerous significant rivers and swamplands are also depicted. To help provide emphasis to certain features I utilized the following customizations. A star represents the capital, as well it should. It has larger text but is still in the same font style as the county seats. Another key design choice, I can't help but think of Green when thinking of Florida, so the general background color for the Florida Counties is a light grassy green. But to provide emphasis and more country context for Florida itself I added a blue background for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. I also utilized a bland gray for the immediately adjoining states that are in the frame.

For label designs, the rivers have the most unique modifications. These involved adjusting individual vertex points to allow for the words to flow along the general pathing of the numerous snake-like riverways. There is also significant free space not being utilized in the Gulf of Mexico area, so to keep it from being too empty I added a text description of the map focus there. I also particularly like the contrast of the green Florida, blue water, and tan title and legend areas. 

Thank you.

v/r

Brandon

Cartography Basic, Mod 1. Design Principles

Greetings everyone,

Module 1 as the title eludes is all about the principles of Map Design with a sprinkling of the fundamental history of Cartography. 

Cartographer Edward Tufte is the focus here, as he created 20 "Tufteisms" which outline the quintessential do's and dont's of map design and making. 

The course here took those 20 and then distilled them into 6 Commandments.

1. Map Substantial Information

2. Don't Lie with Maps

3. Effectively Label Your Map

4. Minimize Map Crap and Chart Junk

5. Layout is Key for How the Map Feels and Looks

6. Evaluate Your Map. Does it do what you wanted? 

With those commandments in mind the task was straightforward. Find and evaluate an example of a good and bad map. What follows are the two choices that I pulled with a couple comments on what makes them to me good and or bad representations of the commandments above. 

Good Map:

This is a fairly simple and straightforward choropleth map depicting median age range at first marriage across the United States found on Facebooks "Amazing Maps" page. You have a color comparison of it being higher or lower in age, then the actual median age presented by state. 

 I think it follows the majority of the commandments without issue, it is a specific piece of information being portrayed, and the focus is on that data. The design choices are simple yet efficient. Background information is subdued, there is not extraneous map crap nor undue symbology. Its layout is appropriate for the shape of the states, and makes use of both the labeling on the eastern side and the location of Alaska and Hawaii is fairly standard. Note that there is not an associated scale bar, nor particular graticule or grid reference lines. That is not the intent of this thematic map. But those are elements we will be incorporating into most projects that we do ourselves through the course. 

Poor Map:

Found on Facebooks "Terrible Maps" page this is a great example for violating the commandments above. 

It may be as simple as the original creator not having the time to create a finished product. It could be that the subject matter is irrelevant. After looking at the details long enough you will see the context clues that this is supposed to show you a US counties distance, in counties, from a coastline. 

I do like that this example is also a type of choropleth thematic map, and with the same big picture subject and mapped area, the United States, as the good map above. This can really highlight the differences between the good and the bad. 

This is a minimalist approach without much map crap, but the elements present are poorly executed. The legend is ineffective, lack of title and explanatory text make it difficult to comprehend at first glance. the background blends with the subject matter, and it is too difficult to be able to see how the distance calculation is made. Evaluating this map is easy in that regard. Its mostly all wrong, and the most we get out of it, is that yes the center of the country is the most counties away from a coastline. 

Ultimately, in this course, we will be applying the design principles and modern advantages of numerous software to hopefully create well-thought-out and individually designed pieces of cartographic excellence. Please enjoy the things to come.

v/r

Brandon

Cartography Begins

 Greetings! 

It's time to start the next portion of the GIS adventure. Here we go into Cartography, GIS 5007. It's been a little over a semester since the last GIS class based on adding in some of the other GIS Admin programmatic requirements. But here I am back into the fun stuff! 

As a recap for those new to me, I am Brandon Deusenberry, and I am a graduate student in the GIS Admin Masters program. This is my second time to UWF. I was originally here back in 15-16, then skipped over to the University of Florida to finish out a Bachelor of Geography. And now I'm back to focus here. 

I spent 12 years in the Florida panhandle just down the beach from UWF. Then spent 4 years in Texas, survived a pandemic, and now I am in Las Vegas. Why so many moves you ask? I am Active Duty Air Force, have been for almost 21 years now. My background is in full motion video remote sensing, which is where the draw to GIS came from. 

Hopefully at the end of this program I will be able to combine my degree with the military experience and move into the professional civilian sector. At this point I think I would prefer helping to lead a team of GIS professionals, than doing the ground work myself. However, I am not afraid to dive into the computer and work through the creation, database management, conceptualization, and implementation of GIS myself. 

I really enjoy cartography, and particularly like how data can be used to creatively portray physical space in unique, odd, fun, yet informative ways. Even terrible maps that are violating all the rules for comedic or worse purposes. It's still creative. 

Well, I look forward to working with you! Please take a look at my story below, highlighting a few of the places I have been.

Story Map Link:  https://arcg.is/1u1y8S0 

v/r

Brandon