Maps should include

Both of these borders are sometimes referred to as a ' neatline. LEGEND: a legend defines the symbols or colors including shades of gray and patterns used on the map. Maps do not need legends if the symbology is so common or simple as to be easily understood by the reader. However, it must be clear what each marker or line type, weight and pattern represents.

The legend does not need to be labeled "Legend. For example, if you map Whatcom County, there should be an inset map of Washington, showing the location of Whatcom County. Layout design refers to the planning and decision making processes involved in the visual display of the spatial data.

In , the US Geological Survey published a new global ecosystem map of unprecedented detail. It is a mosaic of almost 4, unique types of ecological areas called ecological land units ELUs that are key to understanding the makeup of ecosystems. GIS maps engage an audience for a purpose Any map that you make can be saved and shared online—intended for a specific audience and expected uses. Mapmaking continues to evolve Since the earliest recorded human history, maps have served to preserve and transmit geographic data by means of a visual representation.

This 2,year-old Babylonian clay map shows a plot of land in a river valley between two hills. Inscriptions record the owner of the hectare parcel as a person named Azala. This map of the waters off coastal Portugal contains a wealth of invaluable geographic information for mariners such as sailing directions and the locations of harbors.

The nautical atlas where it first appeared was the first of its kind, and an immediate commercial success. Modern sailors, while equipped with more accurate and up-to-date depictions, can still appreciate the critical value of the information, as well as the aesthetic beauty of its presentation. The Matanuska-Susitna Basin has a complex geography and dense hydrologic network of streams, rivers, and lakes. This map works by employing important techniques to present a striking view of the entire area.

Thought leader: Scott Morehouse Maps and geographic science enable a new kind of conversation People are visual learners and seem to be instinctively attracted to maps. He and his colleagues worked together to transform the set of early GIS concepts into numerous product releases, resulting in a great transformation in the role of mapping.

Modern GIS is transforming mapping. The role of GIS maps At their heart, web maps are simple Web maps are online maps created with ArcGIS that provide a way to work and interact with geographic content organized as layers. This web map is a window into a rich nationwide dataset about crops harvested county by county in the United States. Additional information products can be created using this map, including story maps and mobile-friendly apps. Make and share a map Five easy steps Anyone can make, share, and use web maps.

Choose a basemap Select a basemap and zoom into your area of interest. Add data layers Add your data layers and specify how each will be symbolized and portrayed. Configure a pop-up Create pop-ups that enable users to explore features by clicking on them.

Save as web map Save your map into your My Content folder with a good description and a thoughtful name. Deliver as an app, such as a story map Share your map as a story map or other configurable web app. Basemaps and operational layers ArcGIS The idea of a digital map mashup—recombining various geographic layers—is one of the great force multipliers in modern cartography.

It starts with a basemap In ArcGIS, map authors can readily access beautiful sets of professionally produced basemaps that provide the digital canvas on which to tell their stories. Operational layers Basemaps seem simple and relatively unobtrusive—and this is precisely their purpose. The Living Atlas of the World Some map authors are data creators interested in mapping their own data.

Just imagine trying to understand the subtle spatial patterns of traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Portland, Oregon, over a year span by reading a spreadsheet. It would overwhelm anyone. By comparison, a map of that same data can be read and quickly understood with almost no training required. This is the power of web maps. Web map properties Continuous and multiscale Web maps work across multiple scales.

As you pan around and then zoom out to any spot on the planet, you will find levels of resolution and detail appropriate for that scale. Pop-ups Web maps are windows into a wealth of information. In fact, the simple, informative ones, such as this story map about the World of Cheese, are effective because they deliver specifically what the map author wants you to know about that feature you clicked.

Real-time feeds Your online maps are no longer static. This map features live-feed layers for traffic across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Mashup culture Your maps can combine more than your own data. Learning to smart map The world is full of data, and maps help you make sense of it. Smart mapping enables you to interact with and interpret the data behind your map. This quick guide introduces a fast, simple way to effectively analyze point data using heat maps within smart mapping.

Spatial data exploration One of the critically important capabilities of smart mapping is the added ability to interactively explore your data layers—for example, you can explore the range of values for median household income within each block group in your map by interacting with the histogram of median income values. Make a Better Map: How to map counts and percents together. This story map looks at where night lights have turned on blue or dropped out magenta globally.

Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent are shown here. With all the mountains in Switzerland, it should be no surprise that it developed many classic cartographic techniques, including the Swiss Hillshade.

Cartographic symbols and styles. To promote hierarchy among layers, use drawing order and symbol choices. You want features with greater importance to appear higher on the map. For example, you might place terrain, hydrography, and other layers that relate to the natural environment on the bottom level.

Anthropogenic basemap layers, such as boundaries and land areas, would be the next visual level. The thematic symbology that tells the main story of the map will be at the highest visual level. Check your map for missing information. One thing often left off maps is text for features that are not generally in a geodatabase such as labels for marine water bodies or physiographic features.

You can either add these labels using a geodatabase with these features or add text as a dumb graphic aligned as you would like it to appear on the map. The Esri Mapping Center has both marine water body and physiographic feature datasets for small-scale maps. Instructions for adding dumb text so that its geographic position will be constant even when the map is panned or zoomed are also available at the Mapping Center.

Finally, decide if you need to add any map elements such as a title, legend, scale bar, or north arrow. Before adding any additional elements, consider a guiding cartographic principle: only add map elements if they are absolutely necessary. A good last step is to ask a colleague to review your map. A new set of eyes can often find small errors—or even glaring ones—that may have become invisible to you during the mapmaking process. Ask your colleagues to tell you what story they see in the map.

This will help you know if you met your goal of making a meaningful map. Also, if the map is ambiguous, confusing, or visually unappealing, a good friend will tell you that. It's much better to get this feedback before the map is published rather than after. Using this checklist and these tips will help you more easily meet the goal of having a map that tells the story you want it to. For more information about mapmaking, ArcGIS, and the techiques mentioned in this article, visit the Esri Mapping Center website mappingcenter.

Aileen Buckley is the lead of the Esri Mapping Center mappingcenter. She has more than 25 years of experience in cartography and holds a doctorate in geography from Oregon State University.

He has published and presented widely on cartographic design and is currently the editor of The Cartographic Journal. ArcUser Search ArcUser. Evaluate the effectiveness of your map in telling its story by answering these 10 questions. Often, it entirely depends on user needs. But there are almost always reoccurring elements in map-making.

This guide is like your compass — these 33 map-making tips will guide you in the right direction and show you how to create stunning maps. What is the map intention? Are you achieving it? Designing the concept of a map is typically how cartographers begin. Ideas are driven by purpose.

Maps help people understand their place on Earth. The map title should reflect the purpose of the map. The title is usually based on the information being displayed on your map.

It usually includes your theme and geographic location. The map title reveals important information to the reader. Some companies and organizations have map templates on hand. Throw in the data. Change a couple of map elements. With a few clicks of the mouse, there you have it! Mapmaking is made easy. When selecting the template, keep the map orientation in mind.

There is landscape or portrait orientation and different map sizes. If map features are linear and run east-west like pipelines or highways use a horizontal map layout.

Chances are your map will be designed for someone. Did the client if there is one ask to have its logo on the map? Are you using the newest one? When in doubt, seek permission to use somebody else logos or name,. Maps help us view the world in a scaled-down fashion. But how scaled-down should your map be? Understanding the scale of your map is one of the first steps in map design. Is your data the scale of a continent or an airport? Large and small-scale maps are expressed in ratios.

Pan to the center so your main feature is front-and-center. Alternatively, you should ensure other important features are included as a reference. The map-making process must always consider the extent and coverage. The Earth is curved. Map projections flatten our curved Earth and always adds distortion. They transform the sphere into a plane. Cartographers display maps in two dimensions. Whether you want to preserve area, direction, or scale, choosing your map projection is not always an easy task.

You cringe at the thought of using incorrect data in your maps. In the end, you have to ask yourself — am I linking to the correct file? Maps are abstract representations of Earth. Do the extra detective work to ensure the correct data is being shown. A well-designed map often includes a keymap. A key map puts your geography into perspective on a smaller scale. Inset maps can focus in on areas of interest.

They enlarge features in smaller maps giving readers more perspective. A map within a map, within a map. Confused yet? These types of maps are tremendous assets for mammoth-sized projects. It gives even more perspective to the reader and communicates ideas even more effectively.

During the construction of a new pipeline spanning an entire continent, the main map may show a water crossing.