NACIS 2019

Empowerment Through Design: A Case for Participatory Cartography
Presenter: Amber Bosse, University of Kentucky
Participatory mapping is commonly leveraged to incorporate the voices of marginalized populations into spatial representations and decision-making conversations. While participatory mapping's ability to empower communities has been demonstrated in a diversity of contexts, testimony of these successes often privileges broader considerations of engagement, consequently overlooking the role of the map and its design. Through an examination of 35 interviews with participatory mappers, I reveal how lack of clarity around map design creates challenges and contradictions for empowerment. As such, I propose a framework for participatory cartography: a practice that leverages the power of map design in support of marginalized communities.

Incorporating Imagery in a Design-Friendly Way
Presenter: Soren Walljasper, National Geographic
Aerial imagery is often looked down on in the cartographic world. We can all think of that annotated google-earth screenshot where one can hardly make out the feature that the map is trying to show. However, imagery can also be a powerful tool for texture, detail, and unique design. National Geographic has several ways they incorporate various types of imagery into their maps and graphics while still achieving a clear visual hierarchy and congruence with other elements on the page. This presentation covers some of the design techniques employed to take advantage of imagery in a cartographic way.

On Launching a Monochrome Mapping Competition
Presenter: Daniel P. Huffman, somethingaboutmaps
I love the elegant simplicity, and the challenge, of monochrome cartography. However, I fear that it often doesn't get the recognition it deserves, living in the shadow of more colorful efforts. So, I decided to remedy that this year by launching a competition restricted to monochrome maps. I'll be talking about how it went, the amazing people who devoted their time to making it possible, and the important role that representation plays in establishing the credibility that a competition relies upon.

It's A Tiled World After All
Presenter: Jonah Adkins
Join me on this slow moving boat ride to hear stories and lessons learned from a few large projects creating vector tile basemaps. This presentation will show vector tiles made using ArcGIS Pro, Maputnik (and Mapbox Studio), and Tangram Play, with map data provided by OpenStreetMap, HERE, and local data sources. I'll share major takeaways from my experience learning and working with each and end with some fun cartographic techniques that are sure to get stuck in your head. It's A Tiled World After All.

What Are Your Gradient Maps Saying About Your Data?
Presenter: Melanie Smith, National Audubon Society
There are many available options for classifying continuous data on maps using a gradient of colors or symbols. Common classification methods include quantile, isopleth, geometric interval, equal interval, natural breaks, and standard deviation. Based on the distribution of your data, the method you choose can have a substantial impact on the message you are sending and the interpretation of those data. I will compare several methods for classifying continuous data relevant to wildlife conservation and discuss how the cartographic choices may impact a resource manager's interpretation.