GIS Tool: Cartography

In Episode 21, I talk about cartography. Probably the first thing that comes to mind when people think of GIS is a map.  GIS is so much more, but it can definitely be used to make beautiful maps, at least by some talented people who are not me!  It’s really easy to make a bad map, and a lot of beginners make some simple mistakes.  There are a lot of things to think about when designing a map, including what message you’re trying to convey.  Including certain map elements like a north arrow, scale, and a legend that is legible (for example, if you have data showing different colors based on a numeric ramp, don’t overlap the numbers) can be very important, or sometimes can be left off entirely.  Audience matters.  

How I feel every time I make a map because I never am happy with the result.

I struggled a lot with cartography when I was starting out.  TBH, I still struggle with it today, after doing it for almost 25 years.  I’m not an expert, but I’d like to share some resources that have been helpful for me over the years.

First, there are style files.  I spoke about these back in Episode 10, so go listen or visit the GIS blog from that episode.

Next, there is a very helpful website called ColorBrewer2.org.  This website has been around for a long time, but I still use it to this day.  Not only do they have pleasing color palettes, but you can get suggestions for which colors to use if you’re trying to make a map that is colorblind safe, can be photocopied in black and white and still be legible, is printer friendly, or will hold up on an LCD screen.  Depending on your audience, you may want to focus on one or more of these.  You can see the color schemes in action and get the color values in RGB, CMYK, or HEX codes.

Third, there are also several cartographic geniuses out there who blog and post YouTube videos on different techniques available.  If you want inspiration, one of these geniuses is John Nelson.  John is a Cartography superhero who currently works for Esri and posts blogs, YouTube videos, and other content about creating beautiful and effective maps on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.  He made a gorgeous map of the three rivers that contribute the most plastic pollution into the ocean.  Not only did he create an absolutely striking map, he wrote a blog explaining how he did it, and he posted style files for download! 

Finally, if you want to increase your cartography skills, there is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on cartography every now and then.  The next one is happening right now, but you can still sign up until tomorrow, May 6th, and you have until June 10th to finish it.  I’m taking it, and will be posting the results of my class assignments on our web page and our social media sites.  Why not take it with me and share your results?

Using some of the resources listed above, I’ve made my own map to share with you. In addition to resources above, I created picture marker symbols by uploading our logos, and I edited one of Esri’s vector basemaps. For more information on editing vector basemaps, see this page. To start editing and creating your own style, go here.

The Magical Mapper’s initial map. This map will be redone after I finish the Cartography MOOC.