Module 1--Poorly Designed and Well Designed Maps

For the first module, I had to pick a map that well designed and a map that was poorly designed and critique it based on a template.

I had the opportunity to work in Washington, DC for almost five years. I will tell you that I was a little intimidated by the Metro until I road it the first time. People are justifiably proud of their Metro system (despite issues several years ago) and it serves the community well...it is indispensable.

DC Metro Map, Courtesy of WMATA, 2019.

As anyone can see, this is a very simple map that uses bold colors to show the Metro lines. The colors also correspond with the actual line names. Only basic information is added to the map to keep the viewer oriented. This includes the Potomac River in the middle, the borders of the DMV, and neighboring counties. The only element missing is the scale; however, this map is not drawn to scale (stated just below the north arrow). If it were drawn to scale, the map would be confusing, large, and not as intuitive. Besides, distance does not really matter. Time matters. Besides, most new riders and tourists track which station they need are heading to, the number of stations that have passed, and the number to go. To me, this is a very effective map.

On the other hand, I viewed the Easter Island map. At first blush, it appeared very good and I actually started my assignment choosing this map as a well designed map. As I went through the evaluation process, I changed my mind.

Easter Island, Courtesy of UWF.

There are a lot of issues with this map. Though it is attractive and centers on Easter Island, there are number of deficiencies:

--There is no title. I can assume Easter Island, even though the name of the island is in the water.

--The Moai represent Ahus and the Moai are represented by dots. This does not make sense, as the Moai symbols should represent Moai, which are ubiquitous to Easter Island.

--The Moai, ruins, and populated places are all symbolized by dots. It is difficult to tell which symbol represents which item, especially when dots are close together.

--The road symbols and the population symbols are not quantified.

--I am not sure what the names next to the Moai symbols represent--are these cities or the name of the Ahu?

--The scale bar has 5km,which is easy to relate to; however, the scale incorporates a little over 3 miles. I would have had two scales.

--Because the Easter Island scale has miles and kilometers, the inset scale should also have miles and the elevation scale (not labeled) should integrate feet.

Despite these issues, the map could be used for a middle school project to orient students. However, there is not enough information for a tourist map nor is there enough information or accuracy for a research project.