Design Principles

Objectives

• finish up on projections (last time)
• reminder on Event 13
• Graphic design

Graphic Design Components

Remembering the Model from Robinson, Sale Morrison and Muehrcke (presented in Lecture 4):
graphic elements are the visual variables which can be manipulated to achieve the components within the bounds of the controls.

Primary Graphic Elements ("Symbol dimensions" in Dent) from Bertin
Hue Value Size Shape Spacing Orientation Location

Graphic Components

• Clarity and Legibility
• Visual Contrast
• Visual Balance
• Figure / Ground
• Hierarchy

Five Controls of graphic design:

• Objective
• Reality
• Scale
• Technical limits
• Audience

Dent (Chapter 12) reviews the "Elements" of the Thematic Map, these are really the units that a cartographer manipulates to make a map:

Dent sees three aspects of planar visual organization:
Balance, focus of attention & internal organization. [but has four sections following...]
These are more or less similar to Robinson et al. graphic components.

Balance ­ weight & direction
Focus ­ attempt to get important part in visual center
Internal organization

Vision acuities (Robinson et al. legibility and clarity)

Visual Hierarchy

Dent proposes that Symbols & Title belong on top, with base map (land) next,then
explanatory material, then water then labels, grids, scales (fine except for sea charts or marine thematic mapping)

Graphic elements permit manipulation of hierarchy

Overall message:

These design goals EMERGE from the composite of the details of the map. You cannot detect them in isolation.

On to the Review