Mapmaking demands an understanding of the place or the information and a sense of what can be omitted without diminishing the sense of place or the idea being mapped.
A mapmaker is both an artist and a surgeon.
In his book Maps, Gershon Weltman claims that maps “are not the environments themselves but are, instead, displays designed to present an environment in its absence; displays designed to ‘re-present’ in such a way as to allow the map reader systematically to derive attributes of the mapped environment.”
If you were making a map, the simplest question to ask is: What’s the purpose of the map? Some maps are for getting people from one place to another, while others serve different functions. The purpose and vocabulary of a map should match the experience the user needs. Some maps, like straight-line, non-geographic maps, depart from reality but are useful in certain contexts.
A clear example is the airplane experience. When you’re flying, you have no control and the map is less relevant. As you switch to other modes of transportation—trains, subways, buses, cars, and walking—the kind of map you need changes. It should relate to what you can see, feel, and act upon.
In non-geographic, diagrammatic mapping, consistency is crucial. You need to connect the non-geographic diagram with a clear picture of the geography it represents, even if it’s not specific.
Make the map abstract and leave out the details that the reader cant control.