(Unbelievable genius emanating from this brain tonight: the concoction of a 5 C title in less than 10 seconds!)
It looks like I’ll be putting together a workshop for Colo. State University this fall on cartography. We’ll focus on the basics:
Good design takes time
Trial and error are your friend
Peer review is essential to a map that makes a lasting impression
Studies of the great stuff: National Geo., new OSM-based layers from Stamen Design, Tufte principles, etc.
Critiques and “what’s wrong with these maps? maps”
Work flow and software to accomplish it
User experience
There won’t be a lot of time to discuss everything in-depth. For example, I may just touch on user experience but not go into a big treatise on ways/means to accomplish a good outcome for that goal.
I’d really be glad to hear what you all have to say about what things are most important to cover in a 4-hour cartography crash-course. Think about what you wish you would have been taught that would have made your life a lot easier. I’m open to any suggestions you have, either privately by email or via the comments here. Thank you!
#1 by MonxoLopez on July 30, 2012 - 5:58 pm
This seems like an ideal class! Please post the syllabus as soon as you have it. I think that even the provisional order of your course seems right. From the very general to the more specific. I am specifically interested in the work flow and software part. And I do believe that the peer review section is essential. Peer review is not only about aesthetics, but it gives our work a scientific-like vibe. Science is good. Maps are not exclusively a scientific affair, but there should be some scientific ‘something’ about them, at least while we are creating them. Peer review should also be about THAT.