Outside the Bubble: Real-world Mapping Advice for Students

Tom Patterson U.S. National Park Service1 The student maps that I see are generally impressive. Compared to my student maps made back in the dark (room) ages, your maps are technically competent, more ambitious in scope, and innovative. Clearly the technology has improved to a level that student mapping is now less of a production slog and more about design and experimentation, as it should be. However, because you are still a student, your maps are not without problems, often the same mistakes I once made. What follows can help you address these problems. Some of my advice is specific—nuts and bolts stuff, such as map generalization and text legibility. Other advice is general. Maps made from inside the bubble of a university class differ markedly from those made by careerists in terms of purpose and design. I will discuss what these differences are, why they exist, and the changes students can expect when transitioning to the professional ranks. Map design also gets a lot of ink because it is my passion. As the digital mapmaking craft matures with many of us employing the same software and data, it is design that will most differentiate the maps we create. In a field as broad and subjective as cartography, we tend to view the world through the lens of our personal experiences. My main focus has been terrain presentation, tourist maps, and print production. I now work for a government agency. Filter what I say accordingly.