page_title: Cartographic design
section_title: Composition
hierarchical_section_title: Cartographic design / Aspects of Design / Composition
caption_attribution_description: Türkçe: İstanbul Raylı Sistem Haritası (Metro, Hafif Metro, Tramvay, Banliyö Trenleri, Metrobüs, Füniküler ve Teleferik) Русский: Карта Метрополитена, трамвая, тюнеля, автобуса и фуникулёра в Стамбуле Dansk: Jernbanetransport i Istanbul Deutsch: Schienennahverkehr in Istanbul (Metro, Stadtbahn, Vorortzüge, Metrobüs, Standseilbahnen und Seilbahnen) English: Istanbul Rapid Transit Map (subway, tramway, suburban trains, Busway, funiculars and aerial tramways) فارسی: نقشه حمل و نقل ريلی استانبول Français&#160;: Réseau de transport public d'İstanbul (métro, tramway, RER, BHNS, funiculaires et télécabines) Հայերեն: Ստամբուլ քաղաքի տրանսպորտի գծապատկերը (մետրոպոլիտեն, տրամվայ, ավտոբուսներ, ֆունիկուլյոներ և այլն) Hrvatski: Karta istanbulske željezničke mreže 日本語: イスタンブールの公共交通網（地下鉄、トラム、近郊電車、バス・ラピッド・トランジット、ケーブルカー、ロープウェー） ქართული: სტამბოლის მეტროპოლიტენის სქემა Bahasa Melayu: Rangkaian keretapi singgahan Istanbul Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски: Karta istanbulske željezničke mreže Open this image as an overlay in Google Earth (Google Maps, Bing) (Help|Source)
context_page_description: Cartographic design or map design is the process of crafting the appearance of a map, applying the principles of design and knowledge of how maps are used to create a map that has both aesthetic appeal and practical function. It shares this dual goal with almost all forms of design; it also shares with other design, especially Graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology. As a discipline, it integrates design, geography, and geographic information science.
  Arthur H. Robinson, considered the father of cartography as an academic research discipline in the United States, stated that a map not properly designed "will be a cartographic failure." He also claimed, when considering all aspects of cartography, that "map design is perhaps the most complex."
context_section_description: The term map composition is sometimes used to refer to the composition of the symbols within the map itself, and sometimes to the composition of the map and other elements on the page. Some of the same principles apply to both processes, while others are unique to each. In the former sense of the symbols on the map, as all of the symbols and thematic layers on the map are brought together, their interactions have major effects on map reading. 
  A number of composition principles have been studied in cartography. While some of these ideas were posited by Arthur H. Robinson in The Look of Maps (1952),, Borden Dent was likely the first to approach it in a systematic way in 1972, firmly within the  Cartographic Communication  school of thought. Dent's model drew heavily on psychology, especially Gestalt psychology and Perception, to evaluate what made some maps difficult to read as a whole, even when individual symbols were designed well, and creating a model that included most of the list below. Later,  artistic composition principles were adopted from graphic design, many of which are similar, having come from similar sources. They all share the same goal: to combine all of the individual symbols into a single whole that achieves the goals above. 
   Contrast is the degree of visual difference between graphic elements (e.g., map symbols). Robinson saw contrast as the fundamental principle of composition, supporting everything else. As suggested by Robinson, and further developed by Jacques Bertin, contrast is created by manipulating the  visual variables of map symbols, such as size, shape, and color.
   Figure-ground is the ease with which each individual symbol or feature (the figure) can be mentally isolated from the rest of the map (the ground). The rules for establishing figure-ground are largely drawn from the gestalt principle of  Prägnanz.
  Visual hierarchy is the apparent order of items, from those that look most important (i.e., attract the most attention) to those that look least important. Typically, the intent is for the visual hierarchy to match the intellectual hierarchy of what is intended to be more or less important. Bertin suggested that some of the  visual variables, especially size and value, naturally contributed to visual hierarchy (which he termed as dissociative), while others had differences that were more easily ignored.
   Grouping (Dent) or Selectivity (Bertin) is the ease with which a reader can isolate all of the symbols of a particular appearance, while ignoring the rest of the map, allowing the reader to identify patterns in that type of feature (e.g., "where are all the blue dots?"). In Bertin's model, size, value, and hue were particularly selective, while others, such as shape, require significant contrast to be useful.
  Harmony is how well all of the individual elements (map symbols) "look good" together. This generally follows from the above principles, as well as the careful selection of harmonious colors,  textures, and typefaces.
caption: A well-composed transit map of Istanbul, with a high degree of contrast between the symbols, creating a strong visual hierarchy (transit lines are and look most important), figure-ground, and selectivity (the green national rail line can be isolated when necessary). Also note the harmonizing subdued tones of green and blue in the background.
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