Lecture 9 Output and Design Principles

GIS Map Output

• GIS map output involves a combination of science and art.
• Cartography, the art and science of mapmaking, includes subjective elements.
• Map production is a process of abstraction, making abstract data clear and understandable.
• Map design should consider the end-user and their understanding of the abstraction.
• Important factors for map creation: map objective, reality representation, scale, software limitations, audience, and purpose.

Making Maps

• Key elements to consider for map clarity: map clarity, visual contrast and visual balance.
• Understanding the relative size of figures and elements on the map.
• Assessing the importance of entities on the map (hierarchy).

Mapping as Abstraction

• Representing the complex world on a single map is impossible.
• World information needs to be categorized for comprehensive map representation.
• Examples of abstracted information: physical entities (roads, rivers, buildings), topographic and environmental information (contours, vegetation).

Information for Abstraction

• Information sources for map creation:
• Entity information (income, road atlas, cadastre, utilities).
• Socio-economic information (employment, deprivation).
• Environmental information (pollution, vegetation, soil, erosion).
• Spatio-temporal information (urban growth, clearfelling).

Map Types

• Socio-economic maps (like employment maps) display data on a geographical area, often using color-coded regions to reflect different levels of the factor being mapped.
• Cadastral maps represent land ownership.
• Vegetation maps indicate different vegetation types across a geographic region.
• Road network maps display roadways, often with labels.
• Bathymetry maps illustrate underwater depths and relief.
• Light pollution maps depict light levels; and
• Spatio-temporal maps show changes in data over time (like bird assemblages).

Base Map

• Base maps are fundamental for GIS maps.
• They provide geographical context (boundaries, regions).
• Using the appropriate base map to contextualize information is crucial to a GIS map.
• Base map examples: regional boundaries.

Map Construction Principles

• Understanding scale and generalization is important for map construction.
• Larger scales typically offer more detail, while smaller scales require more generalization.
• Generalization involves data loss, so accuracy and essence preservation are crucial aspects to be considered.
• Different types of data require different mapping strategies (e.g., categorical vs. continuous data).

Map Components

• Essential map components for proper understanding:
• Title (description).
• Ground (background).
• Grid (spatial reference).
• North arrow (direction).
• Legend (symbols).
• Scale (ratio to real-world size).
• Reference grid (coordinates).
• Supplementary information (date, source, accuracy).
• Graphical scale (distance).

Semiotics

• Semiotics is the analysis of symbols used in maps.
• Visual communication and presentation using different representations(e.g., point, lines, polygons), shapes, sizes, colors, textures, layers, etc are all used to convey meaningful data for visual communication and interpretation of GIS maps.
• Strategies for semiotics: use different symbols based on data type (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio)
• Considerations for semiotics: different visual cues to represent data types.

Summary

• Map creation is a mixture of science and art;
• Rules for map creation: components, semiotic principles;
• Consider map data type and end-user, acceptable generalization.

This quiz explores the essential principles of GIS map output and design. It covers topics such as cartography, abstraction in mapping, and key elements for creating effective maps. Test your understanding of how to represent complex data clearly and meaningfully.