200
chapter 11
Continuity
and Change
in
the Computer era
The arrival of the personal computer in the early 1980s
changed
production cartography forever.
—M
ark
H
arrower
,
Cartographica
(2004)
Although the principles described in the previous chapters apply to all kinds of maps
regardless of the methods used to prepare them, some map types have come of age in
the computer era and have special requirements that traditional paper maps do not.
Much of the change in mapping in recent years has been a result of the increas-
ing availability and power of the personal computer. The importance of the personal
computer to cartography in general has been shown throughout the book, but a num-
ber of specific map types have been developed or become popular only with computer
assistance. Among these are animated maps, haptic maps, sound maps, multimedia
maps, and Web maps. Because this book is focused on the design process, I address
the design aspects of these maps that differ from traditional maps, but not the soft-
ware used to make them. Rapid changes in software and hardware mean that any-
one working in this area must keep abreast of innovations described in professional
journals and on manufacturer’s websites; the lag time between writing a book and its
publication means that technological information in books is 1–3 years old.
Although these map types are all computer-created, some were possible before
the computer age. They tend to be software-driven, that is, they require specific soft-
ware, not general GIS or illustration programs; they may require specialized hard-
ware; and they may require a team of experts rather than one person to create them.
While cartographers throughout history have worked in concert with geographers
and printers, now they find that computer programmers and hardware experts are
necessary team members. The geographer provides content (sometimes the cartogra-
pher and the geographer are the same person), then the cartographer focuses on the
Continuity and Change in the Computer era 201
design process and communicates with the computer experts on what programming
is needed.
A factor in rapid change is methods of distribution. Whereas conventional maps
have been distributed primarily through print media, the new generation of maps is
disseminated on CD, DVD, or through the Internet, and these new maps are viewed
on computer monitors. This raises a number of design and layout issues involving
format
and color, among others.
A problem for the map designer is that many of these map types are so new that
little research has been carried out on the effectiveness of their design. Thus, there are
fewer guidelines for the new cartography than for conventional cartography. Much
is done simply by common practice, but that practice may only be a few years old.
There are many unanswered questions. Do people learn better from animated maps?
Do multimedia presentations
incorporating pictures, video, sound,
and animation
assist the user in finding information, or do they result in sensory overload? Is there
an optimal number of sensory elements that can be included in a presentation?
Additional design elements need to be worked into the composition of computer
maps and some special considerations come up, such as additional graphic variables,
depending on the type of map, but the same design questions asked before beginning
any map apply here. In the following sections I focus on these elements and questions.
Material in the Bibliography and Appendices will direct the reader to more extensive
discussions of specific map types.
