The most recent release of Cartographer.js supports county-level choropleth maps. This was the number one requested feature for Cartographer and I am delighted to finally be able to offer it in an official package. Counties are stored with efficient polygon encoding, and are easily referenced by name.
Choosing colors for maps, charts, and infographics can be a difficult task. Standard software packages like Excel and Matlab have tended to offer substandard color schemes (though this is getting better) so it’s up to the designer to learn about color and apply the appropriate techniques. This post will focus on understanding color schemes for maps.
Cartographer.js is a thematic mapping library for Google Maps that simplifies the development process and provides instant access to proven visualization techniques. Developers are freed from worrying about how to tweak the Google Maps API to build the thematic elements they need, and can focus on more important problems like data collection and normalization. Cartographer.js supports custom styling so it can integrate seamlessly into existing web applications.
The Ebstorf mappamundi was drawn in 13th century Saxony and depicts the Christian worldview within the body of a crucified Christ. The map illustrates both the “known world” as well as significant landmarks and points of interest for the curious pilgrim.
“Markets are People” is a beautifully drawn map. It uses area-distortion to show population at both the state and city level. This is the first map we have seen that uses the area-distortion method at two resolutions. The effect is visually accurate, highly readable, and offers deeper insight into the data than similar maps that offer only one level of detail.
A tool to map your Twitter followers. Tweemap shows up to 10,000 followers for any given user. The Google Maps Javascript API provides core mapping utilities, and the Twittervision API was used for geocoding.
The visual components of a subway map make it a great metaphor for grouping and linking ideas or things across many different conceptual realms. We’ve collected here ten excellent examples of the subway map metaphor. 1. Milky Way The Milky Way Transit Authority shows the spiral of the galaxy, with major constellations and nebula appearing [...]
Jonathan Stott’s thesis Automatic Layout of Metro Maps Using Multicriteria Optimisation (PDF) is a comprehensive look at the state-of-the-art of automatic transit map generation. The premise: start with a geographic map of subway or transit stations and lines, then convert this map into an abstract yet informative representation of the transit system akin to those [...]
Following up on our earlier post about the Tokyo subway map, the Information Architects Web Trends Startpage is a clever mashup of the subway map metaphor with the standard start-page. Authors of this map have manually categorized and located some of the web’s most popular sites into color-coded lines and stations. Especially interesting is the [...]
The very elegant Tokyo subway map. Cities are inherently complex, and transit-map publishers face a dizzying set of challenges if they wish to produce a readable but accurate representation of a transit system. The designers of this map deserve particular credit for organizing and clarifying what is necessarily a sprawling collection of subway lines and [...]
