Maps are no longer a by-experts-for-experts kind of entity. With the advent of web-based and interactive mapping technologies, the type of audience has kind of generalized to the level of a common man. A map reader is no longer a map reader but has become a map user. From a map designer’s perspective, it is another step ahead to be able to reach that level. Here, I outline my viewpoint and the future directions for the field of interactive maps and visualization.
Maps are a means of representing geographic information. Paper maps have historically been widely used; we can all recall seeing paper atlases. But over the course of the last 20 years or so, maps have increasingly been represented digitally.
Whatever the format, data has always been the driving factor in the creation of maps. Data is the most important constituent of any map representation. Data collection and distribution have never been simpler thanks to developments in pertinent technologies, such as sophisticated remote sensors and platforms, enhanced cloud storage, and cloud computing with quicker internet access. This has resulted in enormous collections of ready-to-use datasets. Although the term big data is subjective, one can easily differentiate between the amount of information available for the map maker at the beginning of this century and now.
It should be the duty of map creators to assist in transforming the data into knowledge that is applicable to society. They have to realize that if their cartographic works did not accurately represent the available information, they would end up being the bottleneck. Additionally, they must guarantee that the maps they create reach the point at which the proper interpretation is warranted. They must highlight minor advancements that can close significant knowledge gaps.
While digital maps come with their own challenges and sharp learning curves, they also pose immense possibilities that paper maps could have never achieved. Although it is necessary to invest in developing the right tool.
One of the major fields that has emerged in this era is interactive cartography and visualization. Using digital mapping technology is part of it. It has the power to enable end-users to geospatially reason about what they see on their digital screens.
The study of cartography encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including computer science and psychology, in addition to geography, applied mathematics, and graphic design elements like symbology and labeling. In the interaction between humans and computers, cartography is crucial. The application of usability engineering is also evident in this situation.
Apart from disseminating information, another aspect of interactive maps is that they foster a collaborative approach among the map-users, which is helpful for decision-making. One of the applications linked to such a use case is providing maps for the decentralized developmental planning of administrative units. The last decade has seen many examples of utilizing web-based maps to build a collaborative decision-making platform. ISRO’s Bhuvan Panchayat Platform is one such example (https://bhuvan-panchayat3.nrsc.gov.in/).
We are yet to see the time when digital map users will be able to perform what is called information synthesis from the map interface itself. By this, we mean that the users would not only be able to save the results of their derivations from the map interface, but they would also be able to build and express the geographic content on top of it for their further audiences. Information synthesis is still done in a very traditional way today, requiring screen captures and missing important map information that could result in incorrect conclusions. The legend on a web map, which is frequently difficult to locate when taking screen captures, is one very simple example of losing important information.
People are associating emotions with colors in symbology. Additionally, they are focusing on the level of intuitiveness that a map would provide to its users. Utilizing the power of digital technologies, there are also relatively new developments in the representation of spatiotemporal information. Cartographers have a whole sky to limit themselves.
References:
Bang-Kittilsen, A., & Midtbø, T. (2024). Improving intuitiveness in geoscience hazard maps: A web-based experiment supporting governmental map development. Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 0(0), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15230406.2024.2314541
Keskin, M., & Kettunen, P. (2021). Designing AI-assisted interactive map displays to explore spatial information. Abstracts of the ICA, 3, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.5194/ica-abs-3-148-2021
Robinson, A. C., Demšar, U., Moore, A. B., Buckley, A., Jiang, B., Field, K., Kraak, M.-J., Camboim, S. P., & Sluter, C. R. (2017). Geospatial big data and cartography: Research challenges and opportunities for making maps that matter. International Journal of Cartography, 3(sup1), 32–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/23729333.2016.1278151
Roth, R. E., Çöltekin, A., Delazari, L., Filho, H. F., Griffin, A., Hall, A., Korpi, J., Lokka, I., Mendonça, A., Ooms, K., & van Elzakker, C. P. J. M. (2017). User studies in cartography: Opportunities for empirical research on interactive maps and visualizations. International Journal of Cartography, 3(sup1), 61–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/23729333.2017.1288534
