Compiled by Ali Harford

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THE MAP

These thematic and regional maps of the fantasy continent, “Ictaria,” created by cartographer Pieter Rottiers, are stunning! The cartographer thought through political boundaries, languages, and topography to create this fantasy world, and the creativity shines through. Rottier uses a variety of cartographic design skills to create each map—I especially love the use of the beige ocean and topographic shadows to make the map pop.

READING

This short and sweet article by Andy Skinner discusses how the cartographic designer created an accessible gray basemap. Accessible design in map-making is something we all struggle with—are the fonts too small? Is the map color-blind friendly? How will the map be used and viewed, and how does that affect the design? In this article, Skinner discusses his aim, approach, and final result. It’s useful to read and contains some key items for creating accessible maps.

LISTENING TO

Episode 66 of the “Geodorable” podcast, which came out in January 2020, discusses “misleading maps and images used to portray the Australian bushfires.” The episode is useful to listen to now, considering that wildfire season in the U.S. is beginning again. We’re about to be overwhelmed with wildfire maps, especially on social media, so cartographers should take note of what went right, and what went wrong, with the wildfire maps of the past two years.

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Map of the Week