GIS Cartography

Book excerpt: In the five years since the publication of the first edition of A Guide to Effective Map Design, cartography and software have become further intertwined. However, the initial motivation for publishing the first edition is still valid: many GISers enter the field without so much as one hour of design instruction in their formal education. Yet they are then tasked with creating one the most effective, easily recognized communication tools: a map. See What’s New in the Second Edition Projection theory Hexagonal binning Big Data point density maps Scale dependent map design 3D building modeling Digital cartography and its best practices Updated graphics and references Study questions and lab exercises at the end of each chapter In this second edition of a bestseller, author Gretchen Peterson takes a "don’t let the technology get in the way" approach to the presentation, focusing on the elements of good design, what makes a good map, and how to get there, rather than specific software tools. She provides a reference that you can thumb through time and again as you create your maps. Copiously illustrated, the second edition explores novel concepts that kick-start your pursuit of map-making excellence. The book doesn’t just teach you how to design and create maps, it teaches you how to design and create better maps.