100 words - day 16

Generalisation

Another key principal to making any map (paper or digital) is the notion of simplifying what you see in the real world so it can be depicted in an easy to recognise format. When you are planning to make a map consideration must be given not only to how you symbolise or label features but also which features to include in the first place.

Sometimes we exclude certain features altogether as they are unimportant given what we are trying to demonstrate with our map and are irrelevant to the audience. With digital maps that we can see at many scales, we may exclude and include different features at different scales.

We also can simplify features, for example roads might be exaggerated or simplified to represent what exists. A really good example of generalisation and simplification is the London Tube map by Harry Beck. The lines, symbols, font and colours help us understand how to navigate the complex system of underground trains (and now extended to other transport types - trams, cable cars etc). The distance between stations is hugely distorted, in teh real world some are very close in central areas and others further apart but this isn’t what Beck was trying to show us, it was more about which stations were on which lines and how the different lines connected to each other. It is simple, elegant and easy to understand.

It must be noted that sometimes the same symbol can mean represent different features when maps are made in different countries, so it is always worth checking the legend on an unfamiliar map. But a few things are pretty ubiquitous such as blue being used to represent water (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, seas).

Talking of legends this could be a good topic for tomorrow!