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Chapter 7 Using GIS to Make a Map
locations and points of interest throughout the park will likely be highlighted.
If the map is to be used for zoning purposes, things like exact boundaries,
road systems, and parcel information will likely be some of the most important factors.
Second, is the information on the map being easily conveyed to the map
reader? For instance, if you’re designing a trail map, would all trails be named
or marked, or would that cause too much congestion and clutter on the map?
Are the colors and symbols appropriate for the assumed novice user of the
map? For instance, the trail map would likely not need an inset map of the
surrounding area to put the park into a larger context, nor should the map
reader be left guessing as to what symbols really mean on the map. Third, is
the map well designed and laid out properly? A good map should be well balanced, in regard to the placement of the various map elements, for best ease
of use by the map reader. This chapter will examine several of these cartographic design and data display functions, and by the time we reach the lab,
you’ll be designing a professional-looking map of your own using GIS.
How Does the Scale of the Data Affect the
Map (and Vice Versa)?
A basic map item would be information about the scale of the map, and there
are a couple different ways of thinking about scale. First is the geographic
scale of something—things that take up a large area on the ground (or have
large boundaries) would be considered large geographic scale. For instance,
studying a global phenomenon is a much larger geographic scale than studying something at a city level, which would be a much smaller geographic
scale. Something different is map scale, a value representing that x number of units of measurement on the map equals y number of units in the real
world. This relationship between the real world and the map can be expressed
Why is the design of a map’s appearance so important? After all, you could argue that a poorly
put together map of New Zealand is still (at the
end of the day) a map of New Zealand. However, a
well-designed map is going to be more useful than
a poorly designed one, but why? Why are things
like the choice of colors, lettering, and placement
of items on the map critical to the usefulness
of a map? Consider what kind of effect a poorly
designed map can have and what sort of impact
it can make for some of the following concepts—a
map of a local county fair, a real estate map of a
new subdivision, a promotional map showing the
location of a small business, or a map of a proposed
new urban development readied for promotional
purposes. Also, how can the design of a map influence how the map’s information can be perceived
by its reader?
Why is Map Design Important?
Thinking Critically with Geospatial Technology 7.1
geographic scale
the real-world size or
extent of an area.
map scale a metric
used to determine the
relationship between
measurements made
on a map and their realworld equivalents.
Chapter 7 Using GIS to Make a Map
locations and points of interest throughout the park will likely be highlighted.
If the map is to be used for zoning purposes, things like exact boundaries,
road systems, and parcel information will likely be some of the most important factors.
Second, is the information on the map being easily conveyed to the map
reader? For instance, if you’re designing a trail map, would all trails be named
or marked, or would that cause too much congestion and clutter on the map?
Are the colors and symbols appropriate for the assumed novice user of the
map? For instance, the trail map would likely not need an inset map of the
surrounding area to put the park into a larger context, nor should the map
reader be left guessing as to what symbols really mean on the map. Third, is
the map well designed and laid out properly? A good map should be well balanced, in regard to the placement of the various map elements, for best ease
of use by the map reader. This chapter will examine several of these cartographic design and data display functions, and by the time we reach the lab,
you’ll be designing a professional-looking map of your own using GIS.
How Does the Scale of the Data Affect the
Map (and Vice Versa)?
A basic map item would be information about the scale of the map, and there
are a couple different ways of thinking about scale. First is the geographic
scale of something—things that take up a large area on the ground (or have
large boundaries) would be considered large geographic scale. For instance,
studying a global phenomenon is a much larger geographic scale than studying something at a city level, which would be a much smaller geographic
scale. Something different is map scale, a value representing that x number of units of measurement on the map equals y number of units in the real
world. This relationship between the real world and the map can be expressed
Why is the design of a map’s appearance so important? After all, you could argue that a poorly
put together map of New Zealand is still (at the
end of the day) a map of New Zealand. However, a
well-designed map is going to be more useful than
a poorly designed one, but why? Why are things
like the choice of colors, lettering, and placement
of items on the map critical to the usefulness
of a map? Consider what kind of effect a poorly
designed map can have and what sort of impact
it can make for some of the following concepts—a
map of a local county fair, a real estate map of a
new subdivision, a promotional map showing the
location of a small business, or a map of a proposed
new urban development readied for promotional
purposes. Also, how can the design of a map influence how the map’s information can be perceived
by its reader?
Why is Map Design Important?
Thinking Critically with Geospatial Technology 7.1
geographic scale
the real-world size or
extent of an area.
map scale a metric
used to determine the
relationship between
measurements made
on a map and their realworld equivalents.