Cartographic Design

The assignment for this learning module was to design a map that highlights the schools (elementary through high school) of Ward 7 in Washington, D.C.  We were to incorporate Gestalt's Principles of Cartographic Design including: Visual Hierarchy, Contrast, Figure Ground, and Balance. 

I created this map in ArcGIS Pro.  I used no outside software, but was able to find all the tools I needed within the ArcGIS software.  I can see the value of creating a base map and exporting to Adobe Illustrator to fine tune and expand design possibilities, but for this project it did not seem necessary.  One thing I have noticed with the jpg format is that the neat line does not show up as it should when importing to this blog or other non-print formats.  It would have if I chose a different color of exterior border, but I have not found any to be as aesthetically pleasing as white, so that is why a neat line isn't obvious on this image.  It is there, however, and was on the previous lab as well.  It just isn't obvious when not in print format.  I used the basic tools available in the layout frame within ArcGIS Pro.

I implemented visual hierarchy by having large thematic symbols with size based on the type of school. I also made the title large enough to span the entire page. I subsequently made things of lesser importance to the objective less prominent on the map.

I achieved contrast with a 2 color scheme foundation for the main portions of my map and a third color to indicate the schools. This third color of the schools also pops out a bit from the main two-color scheme.

I established figure ground relationship by creating darker surroundings outside of Ward 7. I then made Ward 7 white so it would pop, and then created red symbols within the light background and black ring to further draw the attention to those symbols.

I incorporated balance by flooding the area outside of Washington, D.C. on my main map with a single color and creating that same background on the inset map, which is positioned on the left hand side, so you get two heavy doses of green on either side of the map. I also achieved balance by selectively labeling neighborhoods that were not right near one another or near clusters of schools (as best as possible). I felt that if I labeled the wrong neighborhoods, it would create weird bunches and clumps and not feel evenly distributed around the map. I also chose to leave the upper right area of the map free of any symbols or information. While this may seem to contrast with the idea of balance, every time I experimented with filling that space it actually appeared to distract and make the map appear busy and cluttered. This was a conscious decision and one that I believe helped to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing map.