Cartographic Design

The lab focused on cartographic design and the application of Gestalt design principles, as presented in an excerpt from Chapter 12 of "Elements of Cartography" by Robinson. These principles are applicable to both cartographic and graphic design, considering cartography as "...an intellectual art and science rather than a sterile system of drafting and drawing procedures" (Robinson, 1953).

Included in the lab assignment was a file geodatabase containing three feature sets for transportation, boundaries, and environmental data, using the NAD 1983 UTM Zone 15N for the District of Columbia and Ward Seven. To practice and solidify the lesson, a map was created applying some of these fundamental principles, such as figure-ground, closure, similarity, and contrast.

Since the area of interest is Ward 7, to accentuate the area, a drop shadow or glow effect was used to make it appear closer to the map user (figure-ground). The area surrounding Ward 7 might offer some context but did not need to distract from the primary theme of showing the location of schools within that area.

The transportation features include all major and local roads in and around the area. Of the provided features, this was by far the most challenging aspect since the attribute data was inconsistent or incomplete for an easy application of symbolic hierarchy. Utilizing both unique color and transparency, neighborhoods located in Ward 7 provide a subtle grouping or closure. For additional reference, there are water features, including the Anacostia River and surrounding parks or open spaces.