Resources

I recently gave a talk at the 2026 conference of the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS), held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was titled, “It’s Alive! Using Art & Design to Spark Ideas for More Interesting Map Layouts”. A link to the video recording of the presentation will be available soon.

Description from the program:
A map has a variety of elements, but the layout should be greater than the sum of its parts. The best maps don’t just visualize data, they grab our attention, communicate a story, and evoke an emotion. Once you can identify what makes a map layout more meaningful, you can be intentional about designing the overall composition, and bring vitality to your layout. I will share ideas on how to activate your creativity, such as type, color, balance, space and graphics. If you’re curious how to energize your map layouts, these tips can help!

I had only a few minutes to introduce each of my 5 favorite ways to enhance a map layout. Here, I can offer a bit more depth into each of the techniques I introduced.

FONTS
COLOR
SPACE AND PLACEMENT
ART
GOLDEN RATIO