Thematic Mapping and Graphic Semiology: Cartographic Design

Description

This lecture introduces the concepts of thematic mapping and graphic semiology, focusing on the components and functions of maps, visual variables, thematic attributes, classification, and map design elements. It also covers map aesthetics, including harmony, visual balance, and composition, as well as the role of map design in enhancing understanding. The lecture explores the context of American counties in 1990, displaying unemployment rates through a thematic map. It discusses the population and economic situation in the United States during the 1990s, highlighting the impact of economic policies on wages and employment. The lecture also delves into the use of QGIS software for cartographic design and map production.

Official source

https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/0_285kiw16

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Related concepts (143)

Web mapping

Web mapping or an online mapping is the process of using maps, usually created through geographic information systems (GIS) on the Internet, more specifically in the World Wide Web (the Web). A web map or an online map is both served and consumed, thus, web mapping is more than just web cartography, it is a service where consumers may choose what the map will show. The advent of web mapping can be regarded as a major new trend in cartography.

Unemployment

Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the reference period. Unemployment is measured by the unemployment rate, which is the number of people who are unemployed as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed added to those unemployed).

Cartographic design

Cartographic design or map design is the process of crafting the appearance of a map, applying the principles of design and knowledge of how maps are used to create a map that has both aesthetic appeal and practical function. It shares this dual goal with almost all forms of design; it also shares with other design, especially graphic design, the three skill sets of artistic talent, scientific reasoning, and technology. As a discipline, it integrates design, geography, and geographic information science.

Digital mapping

Digital mapping (also called digital or computer cartography) is the process by which a collection of spatial data is compiled and formatted into a virtual image on a computer. The primary function of this technology is to produce maps that give accurate representations of a particular area, detailing major road arteries and other points of interest. The technology also allows the calculation of distances from one place to another.

Natural rate of unemployment

The natural rate of unemployment is the name that was given to a key concept in the study of economic activity. Milton Friedman and Edmund Phelps, tackling this 'human' problem in the 1960s, both received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for their work, and the development of the concept is cited as a main motivation behind the prize. A simplistic summary of the concept is: 'The natural rate of unemployment, when an economy is in a steady state of "full employment", is the proportion of the workforce who are unemployed'.