Best practices: Map design

Map design is essentially a design problem that requires design thinking, planning and vision. (This is the fun part.)

In this section, we will look at the design elements in your map style that should be customized to reflect your product or brand's design aesthetic. You have complete control over your map style—in fact, any feature can be customized. We recommend you begin designing the following elements: color, typography, iconography, and texture.

Next, we will introduce some design principles important to cartography. Adhere to these principles as you design to ensure the visual relationship is maintained. These principles are not to be applied in isolation, but instead are complementary. Collectively, they help cartographers and map designers create maps that successfully communicate geographic information.