Cartographic design or map design is the process of crafting the appearance of a map, applying the principles of design and knowledge of how maps are used to create a map that has both aesthetic appeal and practical function.[1] It shares this dual goal with almost all forms of design; it also shares with other design, especially graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology. As a discipline, it integrates design, geography, and geographic information science.
Arthur H. Robinson, considered the father of cartography as an academic research discipline in the United States, stated that a map not properly designed "will be a cartographic failure." He also claimed, when considering all aspects of cartography, that "map design is perhaps the most complex."[2]
- ^ Hogräfer, Marius; Heitzler, Magnus; Schulz, Hans-Jörg (2020). "The State of the Art in Map-Like Visualization". Computer Graphics Forum. 39 (3): 647–674. doi:10.1111/cgf.14031.
- ^ Robinson, A.H. (1953). Elements of Cartography. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-72805-4.