On interesting topic at IEEE VisWeek is in the classic map legend. A standby of all visualizations, maybe it’s time to revamp it for something new. Work from Jason Dykes, Jo Wood, and Aidan Slingsby does just that with some interesting interactive legends.
This design paper presents new guidance for creating map legends in a dynamic environment. Our contribution is a set of guidelines for legend design in a visualization context and a series of illustrative themes through which they may be expressed. These are demonstrated in an applications context through interactive software prototypes. The guidelines are derived from cartographic literature and in liaison with EDINA who provide digital mapping services for UK tertiary education. They enhance approaches to legend design that have evolved for static media with visualization by considering: selection, layout, symbols, position, dynamism and design and process. Broad visualization legend themes include: The Ground Truth Legend, The Legend as Statistical Graphic and The Map is the Legend. Together, these concepts enable us to augment legends with dynamic properties that address specific needs, rethink their nature and role and contribute to a wider re-evaluation of maps as artifacts of usage rather than statements of fact.
Be sure to check out their paper.
VizLegends from Aidan Slingsby on Vimeo.
