Module One- Introduction to Cartography and Map Design

Figure 1- Well Designed Map - SC Wildlife Zones

The map I selected is the Wildlife Map from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, found in the R‑Drive. I chose it because, despite a few areas that could be improved, it is simple, easy to understand, and communicates its purpose effectively.

Purpose, Look, and Audience

The map’s purpose is to show the different game zones used for wildlife management in South Carolina, which is made clear through the title and legend. Its look and feel are simple, practical, and informative, presenting a lot of information in a way that anyone can quickly interpret. The intended audience is the general public—people interested in hunting, wildlife conservation, or anything requiring awareness of the state’s game zones. The educational level needed is minimal since the zones are color‑coded and clearly labeled.

Cartographic Design

The map emphasizes the main theme through its use of color. Only the game zones are colored, which makes them stand out against the white background. The symbology is simple but effective: each zone is represented by a different color, outlined with thick borders, and labeled with a number inside the zone. This makes it easy to identify each area without relying heavily on the legend.

Improvements: Some colors are too similar—especially between Zones 1 and 6, and Zones 2 and 5—which may confuse some viewers. Blue and lilac are also not ideal choices for land areas. A neutral background color instead of white would give the map a more finished look.

The symbols and labels are mostly legible, except for a few city names. The symbols are intuitive, and the thick borders and centered numbers make the zones easy to understand. The map also uses graphics and text blocks appropriately, including the official state seal and important information like the source and publication date.

Map Elements and Layout

The map is generally well balanced, and the creator used the landscape layout effectively to fit the shape of the state. The state fills most of the page, and the north arrow, scale bar, and text boxes are placed in a way that doesn’t distract from the main map. The legend is close to the state and sized appropriately. The only change I would make is swapping the north arrow and scale bar with the seal and text boxes to reduce clutter in the bottom‑left corner.

The map has appropriate borders, though slightly thicker ones would give it a more polished look.

Scale and Legend

The map extent is appropriate because it shows the entire state and includes enough detail to display the cities within each zone. The scale bar is simple, uses miles, and is placed near the state for easy reference.

The legend includes all necessary symbols and details and is organized logically from Zone 1 to Zone 6. The labels are clear, though adding “Game” before each zone name is redundant since the legend title already states that these are game zones.

Titles and Subtitles

The title is brief, descriptive, and clearly communicates the map’s purpose. It is the largest text on the page and is positioned well in the open space near the top right. The subtitles are smaller, non‑distracting, and easy to read.

Figure 2 - Poor Map Choice: "Bellevue"

 For this assignment, I chose a map from the R‑Drive that wasn’t obviously terrible at first glance. I wanted to challenge myself with something that looked acceptable to a non‑GIS viewer but still had real design issues. I even asked a non‑GIS friend to look at it, and her impressions matched mine.

Purpose, Look, and Audience

The map’s purpose isn’t clearly communicated. Although the legend suggests it is meant to show public facilities across Bellevue, the title doesn’t say this, and the layout doesn’t help clarify it. The overall look and feel of the map is overwhelming—there is so much going on visually that instead of helping the viewer understand where key facilities are, it creates confusion.

The intended audience seems to be everyday residents or visitors who need general location information, assuming they can read basic directional cues.

Cartographic Design

Some visual themes are emphasized well, such as the contrast between urban areas, green spaces, and surrounding water. These help give a sense of the city’s layout. But the map is so cluttered that even these distinctions start to blur.

The symbology for public facilities is mostly effective. Points are used for specific locations, and color‑coded areas represent broader features like parks. However, some color‑coded areas—like the dark and light gray regions—aren’t explained in the legend, leaving the viewer to guess their meaning.

The color scheme generally works: it’s earthy, not distracting, and highways stand out clearly from smaller streets. But the labels and symbols are hard to read because the font is tiny and the map is visually crowded. Some symbol colors blend into the background, making them difficult to distinguish.

The symbols themselves are intuitive—fire stations in red, schools with a flag symbol, police stations in blue, parks in green, water in blue. There are no extra graphics, but there is a text box in the bottom right corner that is nearly unreadable because it clashes with the map.

Map Elements and Layout

The page layout feels unbalanced. The title and legend are both on the left, making that side feel heavy, while the logo and text box on the right are too small to balance it out. The borders are inconsistent as well, with the bottom border thicker than the others.

Most map elements support the map’s goals, but the scale bar does not. It is shown in feet, which is unusual for a city map, and it is placed awkwardly under the north arrow, making it easy to miss. The north arrow itself is too large and ornate. Both elements could have been placed more thoughtfully.

Scale and Legend

The map extent is reasonable because it includes the whole city, though some might prefer a closer view that excludes surrounding water. Including the water does help show the city’s context, so either choice could be justified.

The legend is only partially complete. Several layers, like water, gray areas, purple areas, and smaller streets, are missing. The structure of the legend is logical, though, and the labels themselves are intuitive.

Titles and Subtitles

The title is not descriptive enough and doesn’t explain the map’s purpose. It is also too small, and the subtitles are even smaller and nearly impossible to read.