Anyone Can Map! Inspiration and an introduction to the world of mapping

In the beloved Pixar film Ratatouille, the late Chef Auguste Gusteau proclaimed a simple but powerful message: "Anyone can cook!" While Gusteau was speaking of the culinary arts, I believe his inspirational ethos applies just as well to another creative and increasingly important field – the world of mapping.

In our data-rich and globally-connected modern world, maps are more prominent and important than ever before. Luckily, thanks to an explosion of open source tools and freely available geographic datasets, the barrier to entry for aspiring mapmakers is lower than ever. Much like Gusteau‘s contention that a great chef can come from anywhere, I‘m here to argue that anyone can learn to map!

The Power and Beauty of Maps

At their core, maps are powerful because they help us visualize spatial relationships, notice geographic patterns, and understand how our world fits together. A well-crafted map can condense enormous amounts of complex information into an intuitive format that even a child can comprehend at a glance.

But maps are not merely practical instruments – they can also be works of art that spark emotion and fire the imagination. From medieval hand-drawn cartography to cutting-edge digital visualizations, the history of mapmaking is full of stunning examples of functional beauty:

A beautiful medieval map. Image credit: Abraham Ortelius, public domain.

In the modern era, maps can take on all sorts of creative and engaging forms beyond just reference cartography. Mapmakers today are dreaming up interactive maps, animated maps, illustrated maps, tactile maps, sound maps, and all sorts of other innovative designs.

An interactive musical map from radiooooo.com

The design possibilities are as limitless as our own imaginations. Much like an artist chooses different colors and brushstrokes to set the mood for a painting, a creative cartographer thoughtfully employs different map projections, color palettes, typography, and design elements to craft maps that are both informative and emotionally evocative. A well-designed map leaves a lasting impression.

Mapping and Its Applications

Beyond their aesthetic appeal, modern interactive maps are also remarkably powerful tools for organizing and analyzing spatial data. Today, digital mapping technologies make it possible to plot everything from worldwide temperature trends to the location of every pokemon sighting in a city and update the data in real-time.

This rise of dynamic digital cartography has made maps an increasingly vital tool across all sorts of important domains:

• Public Health: Medical researchers use maps to study how diseases spread, identify at-risk populations, and strategically deploy treatment resources. The COVID-19 dashboard created by Johns Hopkins University provided real-time tracking of the global pandemic:

• Environmental Science: Maps help us monitor deforestation, track animal migrations, measure shrinking ice caps, and study the effects of climate change. This Global Forest Watch map visualizes forests lost and gained over time:

• Urban Planning: City planners use maps to optimize transportation networks, identify underserved neighborhoods, and make zoning decisions. This map of London visualizes the most popular cycling routes:

• Disaster Response: When a natural disaster strikes, rescue crews rely on maps to coordinate search and relief efforts and identify which areas are hardest hit. This is a map of damage caused by the massive 2010 Haiti earthquake:

Cartography has clearly become about much more than just getting from point A to point B. Maps provide a framework for understanding the interconnectedness of our world. They reveal the hidden influence of geographic features like mountains and rivers on human activities. They help us notice spatial patterns of everything from income inequality to bird migrations. In short, maps shape how we make sense of our surroundings.

Today we live in a world of ubiquitous digital maps, from the GPS navigation on our smartphones to the animated weather maps on TV. Geographic data has never been more abundant or accessible, and the opportunities to create meaningful maps are endless. So what‘s stopping you from becoming a mapper?

Getting Started With Mapping

The good news is that in 2023, anyone with a computer can start making their own digital maps thanks to the proliferation of open source geospatial software and freely available data. While professional grade GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software was once prohibitively expensive and complex, today a new generation of user-friendly mapping tools have democratized the field.

Here are a few of the best free and open source resources to help you start mapping:

• QGIS: A powerful open source alternative to premium GIS software. Has a bit of a learning curve but is very capable.

• MapBox: A web-based platform that lets you easily design beautiful custom maps and map-based apps without any coding.

• Leaflet: A lightweight open source JavaScript library for building interactive maps. Great for web developers who want to add mapping to their skillset.

• Kepler.gl: A user-friendly web tool for visualizing large geospatial datasets in 3D with minimal code.

• OpenStreetMap: The Wikipedia of maps. A global open source mapping project and geospatial database that anyone can edit or use in their own maps.

• Natural Earth: A public domain map dataset with all sorts of useful cultural and physical vector data for creating professional-looking maps at different scales.

So pick a tool that looks interesting and dive in! Start by plotting a simple dataset you‘re curious about, whether it‘s your favorite restaurants in town or UFO sightings around the world. Don‘t worry if your first few maps look rough – experimentation is part of the learning process. Focus on picking up the fundamentals and developing your eye for meaningful spatial patterns.

A beginner‘s attempt at mapping fast food locations. We all start somewhere!

And when you get stuck or need some inspiration (and you will!), tap into the amazingly supportive and generous online community of cartographers and geospatial enthusiasts. Twitter in particular has a thriving scene under the #gischat and #geospatial hashtags. Experienced mappers are usually happy to offer advice and feedback to beginners. So don‘t be shy – everyone was a novice once!

Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Creativity

Learning the fundamentals of cartography and GIS can certainly feel daunting at first. You‘ll likely encounter a lot of jargon like map projections, coordinate reference systems, and spatial indexes that go over your head initially. And your early maps will probably look pretty rough around the edges. That‘s all totally normal!

Much like cooking, mapping is a skill that takes practice and persistence to get good at. Expect some frustrating moments and imperfect results at first. But stick with it and try to maintain a sense of playfulness. Some of the most brilliant mapping innovations have come from amateurs tinkering around and trying new things.

Creative and unconventional map projections. Image credit: Jason Davies.

Be willing to experiment with unconventional data sources, map projections, and visualization approaches. Some of my favorite maps are quirky passion projects depicting things like the most scenic highways in Europe or every location mentioned in Lord of the Rings. Not every map has to be a practical reference map – there‘s plenty of room for creative expression and offbeat topics in this field.

If you ever find yourself losing motivation, just remember that every map you make is a new perspective on the world that no one has seen before. You notice spatial relationships that might have gone unappreciated. By mapping things that fascinate you, you‘re expanding humanity‘s collective geographic understanding in a small but meaningful way.

Gorgeous hand-painted maps by Stamen Design show the creative potential of the medium.

Conclusion

Maps have an almost magical ability to make us see familiar places and ideas from fresh angles. A well-crafted map is both a work of art and a powerful tool for understanding. Maps reveal the hidden connections and patterns that shape our lives in lots of important ways.

Most importantly, maps provide a uniquely accessible and engaging gateway into all sorts of fascinating topics, from urban planning to biodiversity tracking to public health. By plotting an issue on a map, we transform abstract concepts into intuitive spatial representations. Maps let us experience information viscerally.

So I‘ll leave you with the famous words of Chef Auguste Gusteau: "Anyone can cook!" Just replace "cook" with "map". No matter your background, you too can learn the tools and techniques of digital cartography. All you really need is a sense of curiosity about the world around you.

So what are you waiting for? There‘s a wide world out there just waiting to be mapped in new and creative ways. Go download some geodata, fire up a mapping tool, and start exploring! Adventure awaits.