Comments on: A Village Floating off the Coast

By: Lake City Lake « somethingaboutmaps

Lake City Lake « somethingaboutmaps — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:51:30 +0000

[...] at times, I’d rather mark things directly on the page if I can. Too often, you find maps like this one, in which the legend serves only to waste everyone’s time. A lot of people have been [...]

By: Assembly-Line Map Elements « Cartastrophe

Assembly-Line Map Elements « Cartastrophe — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:16:45 +0000

[...] Legend: Finally, many maps can do without legends. For a prime example, have a look again at a map I tackled last year: [...]

By: Martin F

Martin F — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:18:31 +0000

It’s almost as if this map is posted in the Cairanne village square, and instead of the “Cairanne” in the legend, it says “You are here” (Vous ete ici)!

By: David Medeiros

David Medeiros — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:23:32 +0000

I know of some cartographers who look upon the inclusion of a legend as a failure of map design to some extent. I think this is a bit dramatic but the point is valid… as map makers we should try as hard as we can to make the map itself do as much of the information work as possible. Every detail we are forced to add to the legend can be seen as a failure of the map to convey that information in a more direct or intuitive manner.

On N arrows and scale bars, I often scoff at those who think that these are what make a map. While a scale bar can usually be of at least some referential importance to even the simplest map graphic a N arrow on every map can be useless or worse… misleading. There are many times when a N arrow should not or need not be included on your map such as when N is not the same across the entire map or when the map is of a particular scale and familiar subject that no one looking at it would fail to automatically understand where N was. Continental maps of the US for example don’t particularly benefit from having a N arrow when the maps primary audience are other North Americans. In fact one of the major tenants of good cartography is a certain elegance or efficiency in design where the maps quality can be tied to your ability to take detail and map clutter away rather than slavishly add it to all your work. Taking off N arrows and scale bars doesn’t exactly fall into that category of map editing but if your the sort that thinks EVERY map needs one than you are likely to fail the elegance test as well.

By: Daniel Huffman

Daniel Huffman — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:34:29 +0000

You make a good point about the copyright location -- had not thought of that. I think there is very much an attitude out there that north arrows and scale bars are essential, but I disagree. Like anything you put on the map, it has to have a purpose and work with the goal of the map. As a quick example, this map functions just fine without a north arrow or scale bar. Putting those elements in wouldn't really add anything to the map, I don't think. It won't help people figure out the population densities any easier.

By: Jake

Jake — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 08:55:34 +0000

Quick thought on the copyright line: I guess its position is clever in that it is protected from being cut off the map, which could be done in Word or Powerpoint through simple cropping.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Needless North Arrows and Useless Scale Bars — which the map maker who produced the above map has already boldly chosen to omit, perhaps exhibiting a deeper understanding of which cartographic elements are required and which are unnecessary than the inclusion of an arguably unneeded legend would suggest… I have to admit that I have been educated to scoff at maps that lack north arrows and scale bars as incorrect and amateurish, but I am willing to adopt a more considered and complex standpoint.