Lexy McCarty

One might try to argue that maps are irrelevant in today’s society due to the creation of the GPS, which allows anyone to enter their desired destination into a device, online program, or even a wide array of mobile phone applications to obtain detailed directions in less time than it probably took you to read this sentence. How did Christopher Columbus ever make it to the New World before this technology was available?!

As Dr. Dennison mentioned in our last class, good data visualization intrigues the reader to think further and question the data in front of them. This week in class, we focused on revising our maps in hopes of sparking these thoughts in our audience. The “before” and “after” images by Rebecca Wenker shown below display some major improvements after a round of revisions.

The most striking change in the example above is the bathymetry data that Rebecca added to her map. This serves to remind the viewer that the ocean bottom is not flat and encourages the individual viewing the map to think about the varying ocean bottom and how this effects marine life. Her locator-map in the right-hand corner helps orient the viewer if they are not familiar with the Maryland coast, as well as indicates where the ocean shelf drops off. She also includes a bounding box in the inset to highlight where her zoomed-in version is specifically located. The removal of the bar-graph allowed for further simplification of her map. The reader can visually see the location of the two sampling sites, so there is no need for different symbol colors in the revised map. Additionally, she added some orientation to her map with a compass. She grouped the scale, compass, and bathymetry scale together, cleaning up the overall look of her map and simplifying it for her viewers.

Below are my “before” and “after” maps depicting the three sites where oysters for my experiment were grown. Similar to Rebecca’s, the locator-map in the upper left-hand corner orients the viewer on a larger-scale. A bounding box highlighting the Chesapeake Bay would add even more clarity to my revised map. On the smaller-scale, the labels for nearby cities and tributaries help orient the viewer within the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Most noticeable is the salinity gradient, which strengthens the overall map and enabled me to leave out the legend all together. In this case-as well as in Rebecca’s case above-these additional data layers really enhance the map. Additionally, the oyster symbol helps to inform the viewer about the organism of interest without the need to read the caption.

One important thing to mention is that working in mapping software can make it difficult to get base layers to line up. If you notice, the peninsula portion of Virginia does not look realistic in my “before” map. This might seem minor, but is actually very important for map accuracy.

Of course, every map is different. Each map requires different base maps, colors, scales, legends, and additional information depending on the overall message and purpose of the map. When planning and building a map, it’s important to keep the following in mind:

• Details are important. Which colors you use in your map, for example, can have a strong effect on how the audience interprets your visual. When highlighting specific points on a map, think about your symbol shape. Would a circle, triangle, star, or square fit best? In my “after” image above, I used triangles for my city locators. Triangles are usually used for sampling sites, and, in this case, a simple circle might be a better choice. Most importantly, make sure to include the necessary geographic locators and region labels so the audience knows where the map is located in the world. Clarification and details are important in map development.
• Fonts and labels. An active, explanatory title will inform and guide the viewer on what exactly they are looking at. This will eliminate confusion and ultimately enhance their understanding of the map. Font size and style are extremely important and should be selected with the audience in mind. Lastly, it is important to be sure that all aspects of your map are included in the legend. My “after” map includes a descriptive caption, but a short, simple title would help further guide the reader’s attention from the very beginning of their interaction with my map.
• Consistency. Be consistent with your style throughout your map. This should include consistency in your use of color, font, size, etc. Be consistent with where you put your map components, as well. If you have the legend inside the map, for example, make sure the compass, scale bar, and locator map are also inside the map’s boundaries. Lastly, the items in the legend should be identical to their depiction on the map so your viewers can clearly and easily make the connection.
• Juxtaposition. Antagonistic to Aristotle’s belief, sometimes the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. In short: One map might not always be the answer. Using side-by-side maps or comparing a map and graph can declutter a visual and help better convey the information intended. Additionally, juxtaposition can be used when two pieces supplement each other nicely. A good rule of thumb is to use the same style and colors across the two pieces to help with consistency and understanding. Erin Reilly does a great job of this in her image below.

As with many things in life, our maps will continue to get better with time. Multiple rounds of revisions will be made until each of us is satisfied with the final product. With the criticism, comments, and suggestions from our classmates, we will be empowered to improve our maps and make them more effective than we originally imagined.