The Joy of Color Elaine Guidero Jim Thatcher, Oregon State University Have we hit the age of quiet luxury cartography? Maps praised as “tasteful” look like the Succession wardrobe. Subdued neutral tones code as sophistication and elegance in fashion and seemingly now cartography. Does Design-with-a-capital-D mean avoiding bold hues and high saturation? Color is an essential part of the zeitgeist and has deep ties to emotion and language—but perhaps we use these to limit ourselves. I will tease apart some of these connections, with an eye to the ways class and race are contextualized in design, and show the joy in exploring a wider color palette.
Creating giant map images for the National Geographic Museum of Exploration Sam Guilford, National Geographic Society As part of the redesign of the new National Geographic Museum of Exploration, the NGS Geography & Mapping team created many maps for use in different contexts throughout the space. In this talk, I’ll discuss the ideation, research, and production of some wall-sized satellite maps I created for an education exhibit. The exhibit illustrates geographic concepts such as place, pattern, and scale, and my aim was to create accompanying map graphics that would be thematically illustrative and visually compelling. Curating and pulling together a museum is a dynamic and iterative process, and I’ll show some of the steps that led to the pieces selected for the final exhibit. Not everything makes it through!
Cartographic Interpretation of a Different Kind: Applying Museum Principles to Map Design Eric Johnson, Library of Virginia/Compass & Quill Museum interpretation as a field is concerned with the art and science of connecting visitors to places and collections. There are striking resonances between the worlds of cartographic design and museum interpretation. Both focus on taking complex information and communicating it meaningfully to audiences in creative and compelling ways. Interpretation experts advance a series of formal professional principles—e.g. "Any interpretation [map] that does not somehow relate what is being displayed or described to something within the personality or experience of the visitor [viewer] will be sterile.” In this session we will explore how these interpretive principles can help you frame afresh your approaches to your own cartographic work.
It’s Alive! Using Art & Design to Spark Ideas for More Interesting Map Layouts Scott Schiller, Maps by Scott, Milwaukee A map has a variety of elements, but the layout should be greater than the sum of its parts. The best maps don’t just visualize data, they grab our attention, communicate a story, and evoke an emotion. Once you can identify what makes a map layout more meaningful, you can be intentional about designing the overall composition, and bring vitality to your layout. I will share ideas on how to activate your creativity, such as type, color, balance, space and graphics. If you’re curious how to energize your map layouts, these tips can help!
Animated Maps 101: How we use maps in motion to inform 8 million subscribers on YouTube Ryan Shields, Newpress Every month, millions of people come to YouTube to learn from four independent journalists about sports, geopolitics, OSINT investigations, and pop culture. Maps and charts are often at the center of those stories. Here's a look behind the scenes at the tools and techniques our team of self-taught mappers use to create Emmy Award-winning maps that captivate millions.
Friday October 23, 2026 4:00pm - 5:20pm CDT Room 1
