Visual Hierarchy Map

Visual hierarchy is an essential design technique for cartography. It lets people know which information on a map is the most important. This video explains visual hierarchy through an example map in ArcGIS Online.

Visual hierarchy is an important concept in the field of graphic design, a field that specializes in visual organization. Designers attempt to control visual hierarchy to guide the eye to information in a specific order for a specific purpose. The Visual hierarchy of a map may apply to individual geographic features such as making a single

Visual hierarchy goes beyond the map itself. A map exists in some kind of page, be it paper or on the web, and likely is surrounded by supporting elements like titles, text, or charts. This overall layout should have an appropriate hiearchy too. If the map is the most important part of the story, it should be as large as possible.

One of the key factors of the Axis Maps' quotCartography Guidequot article was regarding how a map's visual hierarchy should match its quotintellectual hierarchyquotor the components of the map that are most important and constitute the purpose of the map. Essentially, the most visually compelling parts of your map should reflect the purpose of the map and its importance. The article goes

Visual hierarchy is the separation of the map layers into planes of information. This is the basis for distinguishing features and perceiving their relative importance. Think about the hierarchy within and among the layers on the map. Within layers, remember that symbology is meant to convey differences in types of features and the amount of

You probably already use visual hierarchy without realizing it for example, if you made some map features a bright red color so they would stand out, or if you chose a gray basemap so it wouldn't distract from your thematic data. However, the more you know about visual hierarchy, the easier it is to make effective and good looking maps.

Visual hierarchy and map layout work together to create the visual field of a map image. Designed effectively, they provide a logical structure for the map and graphic elements of the image. They organize the map so that it reflects the intellectual organization of the map's purpose Dent et al., 2009 Slocum et al., 2009 Monmonier, 1993.

Each one uses visual hierarchy to emphasize one layer over the others. You probably already use visual hierarchy without realizing it for example, if you made some map features a bright red color so they would stand out, or if you chose a gray basemap so it wouldn't distract from your thematic data.

Visual hierarchy for maps. Three short videos that explain visual hierarchy through examples in ArcGIS Online. Visual hierarchy for maps. Learn the basics of visual hierarchy and how to control it in a map. 5mins Video Improve visual hierarchy with color.

Visual hierarchy shapes how map readers process and understand geographic information through deliberate design choices. Defining Visual Hierarchy for Maps. Visual hierarchy in cartography refers to the purposeful arrangement of map elements based on their importance. It determines which features draw immediate attention like major cities or