Neither the historian nor the cartographer can ever reproduce the reality they are trying to communicate

to the reader of books or maps; they can but give a plan, a series of indications, of this reality.
Crane Brinton (18981968), The Shaping of Modern Thought

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Graphical Excellence Principles of Cartography Quantitative Thematic Maps Page Layout and Design

Group Meetings

Wired Magazine, September 2007

Graphical excellence
is the well-designed presentation of interesting data - a matter of substance, of statistics, and of design consists of complex ideas communicated with clarity, precision, and efficiency gives to the viewer the greatest number of ideas in the shortest time with the least ink in the smallest space is nearly always multivariate requires telling the truth about the data

Joseph Minard, 1861

William Playfair

Induce the viewer to think about the substance rather than about methodology Avoid distorting what the data has to say Reveal the data at several levels of detail Serve a reasonably clear purpose: Description, exploration, tabulation, or decoration Be closely integrated with statistical and verbal descriptions of a dataset

($11,014)

$397,747

-$4,200,000 base line

data-ink Data-ink ratio = total ink used to print the graphic

= proportion of a graphics ink devoted to the non-redundant display of data-information = 1.0 proportion of a graphic that can be erased without loss of data-information

From John Krygier's Making Maps Blog

Commandment 1: Map Substantial Information Commandment 2: Dont Lie with Maps Commandment 3: Effectively Label Maps Commandment 4: Minimize Map Crap Commandment 5: Map Layout Matters Commandment 6: Evaluate your Map

makingmaps.wordpress.com

Reference Maps

Thematic Maps

Filter Emphasize Abstract Represent Classify Correlate Story tell

Google Maps

DeLorme Road Atlas

Benchmark Road Atlas

Eddie Jabbour, Kick Design

Alan MacEachren, after Bertin

Alan MacEachren, after Bertin

Alan MacEachren

www.colorbrewer.org

Adapted from John Snow, 1854

U.S. Census Bureau, 2002

Greek: Choros (Place) and Pleth (Value) Shows derived values, %s or medians of aggregated data for an area (county, state) Not usually used to show totals because areas are uneven and obscure densities.

Good for showing density

InfoGraphics Lab, 2004

Matthew Campbell, 2003

Sized proportional to data value (classed or unclassed) Symbol representing aggregated total value for an area (county, state) Symbol represents a point location and value (city, power plant)

Good for showing magnitudes

New York Times, 2006

John Krygier

Each dot represents a specific number Dots are distributed to represent the total for an area (i.e. census tract, county, etc..)

Good for showing continuous density

Each line represents a consistent data value Lines are separated by a regular data interval Areas are filled and value graded for emphasis

Good for showing continuous density

Atlas of Oregon, 2001

Shows connections between distant areas Line thickness is proportional to data value Paths are sometimes generalized to simplify interpretation

Good for showing connection and movement

Alex Tait, Sports Illustrated Atlas

Each areal unit (county, country) is varied in size according to a value Two types: contiguous and non-contiguous Usually bivariate displays using color and size

Good for showing multiple magnitudes

New York Times Online, 2008

Variation in your page design

Helps keep figures distinct from the background Emphasizes where the reader should focus Speeds communication and adds clarity Reduces confusion Makes page more interesting Adds depth

What to avoid
Avoid not creating enough contrast to cause confusion between element categories

Aligning objects on the page

Creates visual connections Creates stronger cohesive units Connects related items distant not in close proximity Unifies and organizes the page

What to avoid
Avoid centered alignments (esp. text)

Grouping related items

Reduces clutter Creates initial organizational hierarchy Shows what is most /least important Connects correlated themes Organizes white space

What to avoid
Too many separate elements Dont put items in the corners or the middle Keep unrelated elements apart

Repeating visual elements

Creates consistency Develops visual organization and hierarchy Strengthens unity Facilitates comparisons Adds visual interest

What to avoid
Avoid repeating the element so much it becomes annoying