Data visualization

Chapter content
 Map
 Main characteristics of maps
 Maps and their use
 Mapping and efficiency
 Generalization, simplification and abstraction
 Use 12 steps to present a map
 Examples, how to map:
qualitative data,
quantitative data
 Balancing elements
 Context sensitive elements
 Typography
Prepared by Amina Abdelkadir
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 Map
• A map is:

 A representation or abstraction of geographic

reality.

 A tool for representing geographic information in a

way that is visual, digital or tactile.

 A reduced and simplified representation of (parts

of) the earth’s surface on a plane.

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 Main characteristics of maps

i. Maps provide answers in graphical form to

questions related to:
• Where – related to geographic location.
E.g. Where did the GIS students come from?
• What – refers to geographic attributes.
E.g. What is the type of land use?
• When – refers to time.
E.g. When did the extreme drought occur?

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 Main characteristics ...
ii. Maps offer abstract representations (models) of
reality, that are:
 simplified
 classified
 symbolized

Reality More abstract

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 Main characteristics ...
iii. Maps are representations at scale.
 Scale – ratio between distance on the map corresponding
distance in reality.

• Scales may be expressed as unit equivalents,

representative fractions, ratios or graphical.
1mm = 25m (Unit equivalent), or
1/25,000 (Representative Fraction), or
1:25,000 (Ratio)
Graphical/scale bar.
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 Maps and their Use
• Mapping is a communication tool:
 Convey a message to a public through a medium.
 Some forms of communication are better than others.
 All maps are not equal, even if some are representing the
same features.
 Cartographic quality.
 Maps are using visual communication tools.

Information Map Message

Cartography Map reading

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 Maps and …
• Recording and storing information:
 Enterprises and institutions are using maps to
store large amounts of information,
 Location of resources,
 Location of people,
 Parcels,
 Property,
 Infrastructure,
 Utilities,
 Etc…

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 Maps and …
• Analyzing distributions and patterns:
 Maps can be used to analyze spatial distributions.
 Visualization helps conceptualization of patterns and
processes.

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 Maps and …
• Presenting and communicating:
 Express concepts and ideas that are verbally
difficult and complex to portray,
 Demonstrate,
 Convince,
 Inform/Misinform.

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 Mapping and efficiency
• Cartography
 Science / art / technique of map production.
 Uses a set of defined graphical elements to
communicate a message.
• Graphical elements specific to cartography
 Coordinate systems,
 Map projections,
 Scale,
 Symbolism.
• Legend
 Explaining the meaning of graphical symbols.
 With the large diffusion of maps, some symbols do
not require explanation anymore.
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 Mapping and …

• Designing a good map

 A good map conveys well its intended message.
• What is the goal of the map?
 What the reader should gain from the map or how the
reader should respond.
 Motives vary greatly.
 Convey accurate information about spatial relationships.
 The motive will have a great bearing on the content
of the map (the information included) and its form
(the cartographic strategies employed).

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 Mapping and …

• Symbolic abstraction
 Encoding real-world geographic features.
 How to symbolize?
• Who is the reader?
 Map design is not the same according to the intended
public.
 Identify the type of reader being addressed.
 Important to have an idea about what the audience is
likely to know about the subject matter of the map.
 Map literacy:
 How much background the readers have in using maps.
 Background in cartography and for use in a public debate.
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 Mapping and …
• Where it will be used?
 Usage depend on the type of medium the map will be
published in (book, magazine, news, web site, etc.).
 Some maps are used only once and then discarded.
 Others are intended to used for reference for decades
or centuries.
• What data is available?
 Some maps use reliable sources while others have
sketchy information.
 Decisions about map design are tempered greatly by
source materials themselves.
• What resources and equipment are available?
 Underline the time and the costs for map production.
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 Generalization, simplification and abstraction
• Cartography is a process of abstraction
 Features are generalized and simplified.
 Not all elements are relevant to the message a map
convey.
 The reader must have his/her attention of the message
portrayed by the map.
• Detail
 Too much details undermine the message of the map.
 Amount of detail is related to the scale of the map.
 A small scale map must be generalized.
 A large scale map can contain more details at the
expense of generalization.
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Generalization, …

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Generalization, …

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Use 12 steps to present map

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Use 12 steps to present map…….

1. Objective: The purpose of the map

2. Stakeholder: The user group of the map
3. Title: The user of the map guidance in the use and
content of a map
4. Spatial component : What special component are to
be displayed in the legend
5. Component hierarchy: What is the hierarchy
between the components 18
Use 12 steps to present map…….

Component : 3
Hierarchy: 1) water quality
2) Number of water sample taken
3) Roads
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6. Data scale: What is the data scale of these component
Qualitative and Quantitative values
Measurement scales are linked to the way in which people perceive visual variables

■ nominal: Qualitative attribute values are different in nature, without one

aspect being more important than another (e.g. forms of land use).
■ ordinal: Qualitative attribute values are different from each other, but
there is one single way to order them, as some are more
important/intense than others (e.g. importance of roads).
■ interval: Quantitative attribute values are different and can be ordered.
The distance between individual measurements can be determined (e.g.
Celsius temperature scale).
■ ratio: Quantitative attribute values are different and can be ordered.
Distances between individual measurements can be determined and
these individual measurements can be related to each other. They also
have an absolute zero (e.g. number of visitors).
7. Classes: How many classes does each component contain?
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 Symbolization …
Nominal Data Ordinal Data Ratio Data
Each dot represents
Town Large 500 persons

Q
Medium
Airport 5 10 15
Small
Proportional symbols

30 40 50
Road Highway Contour
Boundary
Road
Flow
River
Street

Swamp 100

Desert Affected area

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Forrest Risk area Population density

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Use 12 steps to present map…….

Measurement scale:- 1)ordinal

2)interval
3)nominal
Classes 1) 3
2) 3 22
3) 1
8) Which graphic symbols can be used?

Cartographer's Conception
Point Line Area Volumetric
representation representation representation representation

Tel.
objects

Phone Animal range

Point

Tree poles line Housing

Animals density
objects

Airport Highway
Q
Line

X Stream Watershed
Road
density

Chemical spill Right of way

objects
Volumetric Area

 Administrative division
Forest
cover
objects

Proportional symbol
Open-pit
mine R Valley
Mountain
range
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9. Which graphic attributes have to be included?

Points

Lines

Polygons

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Map making: graphic symbols & attributes

Graphic symbols & attributes

Water quality: Area/ color
Number of water sample taken: point/size
Roads: line/color 25
10) Add the North arrow
11) Add the Scale bar
12) Add the data source
 North arrows indicate the orientation of the map

 A scale bar provides a visual indication of the size of

features and distance between features on the map

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 Displaying qualitative and quantitative values

 Features

Quantities

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How to Map Qualitative Data

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How to Map Quantitative Data

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 Balancing elements
• Concept
 Each map element has its own importance.
 The cartographer must organize them according to
priority.
 Important elements should be in prominent positions
within the map.
 Important elements should have an according size; a
larger area.
• A general rule:
 The most important elements should be on the top left.
 The least important elements should be on the bottom
right.
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 Balancing …

• Placement
 Importance should also be given to the placement of
elements within the map frame.
 Distribute evenly to avoid crowding and blank areas.

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 Map layout

• Rules
 Only experimentation tells which layout is the best.
 It used to be a costly and long experience.
 Today, GIS packages enable to do this easily.

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 Map …
• Relevance of the elements on the map
 Each one should be justified.
 Those of less importance should be simplified.
 Those of importance should be explained.
 Simple design are more readable.
 Avoid too much detail and complexity.
• Cartographic elements:
 Distance and Scale
 Direction
 Legend
 Sources
 Context Sensitive Elements
 Effective Communication Elements
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 Legend
• Nature and placement
 List of symbols used on the map and their
significance.
 Symbols on the map should look exactly the same on
the legend.
 The choice of symbols is open, but they should portray
a good abstraction.
 Often, legends are not necessary if textual annotations
are put directly on the map.
 Legend should be placed on an empty part of a map to
create some balance.

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 Context sensitive elements

• Title
 One of the most essential feature.
 Its design should be related to the audience.
 Captions usually take the place of titles in maps for
books and journals.
 Should be comprehensive:
 Avoid things such as “Map of…”.
 Avoid long descriptions.
 “A map of the population growth in Ethiopia between
1980 and 1990 displayed by province” with “Ethiopia
population growth by province, 1980-1990”.
 “Colonies controlled or ruled by Spain on the eve of
the Spanish-American War” with “The Spanish
empire in 1898”
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 Context …
• Projection
 Influences the representation of area, distance and
direction.
 An experienced cartographer can identify the
projection simply by looking at the map.
 Use appropriate projection for the mapping context.
 The projection used should be indicated on the map if
precision is important.
 For several thematic maps, projection is factual.
 Projection is mandatory for maps to be used in the
digitizing process.
 Projection is indicated on all topographic maps.

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 Context …
• Cartographer
 Name (initials) of the person(s) responsible for the
map production.
 Could also be a corporate identity.
• Production date
 Several map are time sensitive.
 The reader must thus know when the map was
produced to understand its context.
 Illustrates how old is the information, and thus its
accuracy.
 For some maps, the year is all what is needed.

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 Typography

Definition:
Placement and appearance of textual information.
• Very difficult task.
• The cartographer must be concerned about the content
and the form.
• The content is the relevance and clarity of text.
Avoid confusion and misinterpretations.
Avoid redundancies.
Avoid abbreviations.
• The form is the appearance of the text on the map.

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 Typography
• Font
 Refers to the shape and pattern of letters.
 Hundred of fonts are available today, but stick to the
basics.
 As well as UPPER CASE, lower case and Mixed
Case.
 The same information usually has the same font and
font size.
• Labeling points
 Avoid lettering across boundaries.
 Since points do not have an orientation, text should
be horizontal.

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 Typography
• Lettering lines and areas
 Text should follow the orientation (direction) of the line.
 It links the text more clearly to the graphic element and
thus avoid confusion.
 Text should occupy the area and its orientation.

“GIS don’t make good or bad maps, cartographers do!” 40

 Data visualization

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