Visual variable

A visual variable, in cartographic design, graphic design, and data visualization, is an aspect of a graphical object that can visually differentiate it from other objects, and can be controlled during the design process. The concept was first systematized by Jacques Bertin, a French cartographer and graphic designer, and published in his 1967 book, Sémiologie Graphique.[1] Bertin identified a basic set of these variables and provided guidance for their usage; the concept and the set of variables has since been expanded, especially in cartography, where it has become a core principle of education and practice.[2][3]

  1. ^ Jacque Bertin, Sémiologie Graphique. Les diagrammes, les réseaux, les cartes. With Marc Barbut [et al.]. Paris : Gauthier-Villars. Semiology of Graphics, English Edition, Translation by William J. Berg, University of Wisconsin Press, 1983.)
  2. ^ Roth, Robert E. Visual Variables, in D. Richardson, N. Castree, M.F. Goodchild, A. Kobayashki, W. Liu, and R.A. Marston, eds. The International Encyclopedia of Geography, Wiley, 2016. doi:10.1002/9781118786352.wbieg0761
  3. ^ Tyner, J. A. (2010). Principles of map design. New York: The Guilford Press.