Lab 3: Cartographic Design
This week in lab, we focused heavily on Gestalt Principles and how we can apply them to make maps more visually appealing and easier to understand. These principles help guide the map-making process and enhance the overall presentation.
For this week’s lab assignment, we were given data from the District of Columbia Open Data portal and tasked with creating a map showing the types of public schools in Ward 7. We also needed to include an inset map for reference. At first, the data seemed overwhelming, but I approached it step-by-step.
I began by adding Washington, D.C., Ward 7, and the school locations to the map. To enhance the visuals, I converted the school points into 3D spheres and used vibrant purple shades to help them stand out. I also added roads, water features, parks, and neighborhood boundaries. For labeling, I used the Labeling tool to customize fonts and positions, and converted some labels to annotation for finer control. I applied halos to improve contrast and readability.
Creating the inset map was straightforward once the main map was completed. I also made a new feature class to highlight the area of interest. To do this, I created a polygon around Ward 7 and added a thick border in a contrasting color to make it stand out from the background.
To maintain clarity and focus, I added all the essential map elements while applying Gestalt principles—specifically visual hierarchy and figure-ground relationships. I used a grayscale background for the basemap to help the vibrant 3D spheres (school locations) stand out. This focused the viewer’s attention on the schools and reduced distraction from the less important background elements. The contrast between the vivid purple schools and muted background made the symbols easily distinguishable.
For figure-ground, I used large 3D symbols with shadows to give a sense of depth and make the schools appear closer to the viewer. I also applied shadows to the inset map and legend to make them feel like they were floating above the basemap.
Finally, I worked on balance by placing the inset map in the top-right corner and the legend in the bottom-left. Both elements are of similar size, which created symmetry. I also placed the data source in the bottom-left and the north arrow in the top-right to fill empty space and support the map’s overall balance.
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