Cars

44 Number 43, Fall 2002 cartographic perspectives elevation value. The ersatz realism one sees on a map—which I will call "cartographic realism"—is not reality, but is instead a graphical represen- tation. The snow on the ground outside my window as I write this is real. The white coloration representing snowy mountain peaks on the topo- graphic map of the Alps on my wall is cartographic realism. This being a paper about map design, use of the term "realism" throughout the follow- ing discussion is solely intended in the context of "cartographic realism." The move to more cartographically realistic map design by the NPS has been gradual and unplanned. Using graphical software applications that allow sophisticated designs to be routinely produced, which were previ- ously only imagined, the NPS has found itself inextricably drawn toward using greater realism. Cartography is not alone in this trend. Faux realism has become ubiquitous in almost every graphical medium today from tele-vision to print publishing to multimedia. For example, the graphical user interface (GUI) of Mac OS X, the virtual environment in which I am now immersed, uses soft drop shadows, transparency, pulsing 3D buttons, and a soothing "aqua" desktop to hide its complex Unix underpinnings from the casual computer user. The enhanced realism of NPS maps has a similar aim—sparing the park visitor from the off-putting technical as- pects of conventional cartography with a map user interface (MUI) that is more user-friendly and that simultaneously delivers relevant and accurate information. When depicting maps with cartographic realism, we are constrained by the finite limits of graphical methods—only so much is possible on a 2D surface—and our pre-conceived ideas of how the Earth appears from above. Geographic, graphic, and perceptual reality are often at odds with one another and must be reconciled by the cartographer in order to design a map with realistic characteristics. With increased cartographic realism, map use becomes more a matter of looking rather than reading. Compared to conventional maps, real- istic maps are, undeniably, dumbed down—users have to grapple with fewer abstractions, and intelligence is commonly defined as the ability to think abstractly. However, by avoiding the use of abstract symbolization, realistic maps have the potential to communicate more efficiently to a greater number of users. Think of this as the cartographic implementation of universal design. Users can comprehend realistically portrayed map "Faux realism has become ubiquitous in almost every graphical medium today from tele-vision to print publishing to multimedia." ". . . realistic maps have the potential to communicate more efficiently to a greater number of users. Think of this as the cartographic implementation of universal design." Figure 1. Crater Lake, Oregon. (right to left) NPS maps have become more accurate, detailed, and car- tographically realistic in appearance over the past two decades, while at the same time retaining their familiar clean design. The 1980s map uses isobaths to show depths in Crater Lake, the only elevation isolines ever to be published on an NPS map. The 1995 map uses hand-drawn bathymetry. The 2002 map, produced entirely from digital sources, combines a forest cover texture with shaded relief.

• Cover