Principles of good symbol design
Good symbol design for a map doesn't have to be difficult. Keep these principles in mind when designing your own...
- Make it easy to identify Make the symbol easy to recognize and you will save your viewers a lot of frustration and your map enjoyable to read. Otherwise, the reader will have to refer to a legend to even know what the symbol represents.
- Make it memorable If the viewer cannot recall the symbol after seeing it once in the legend, the viewer will have to refer to the legend every time they see the symbol. This is inefficient and frustrating.
- Keep it closed in form Using a closed form helps viewers reading the map focus on the symbol. For example, a circle is a closed form that focuses the viewer's eye on itself. A star is an open form that makes the viewer's eye want to move out. Make your symbols more rounded and minimize any out-pointing parts.
- Be careful of abstraction level A symbol too abstract will make the symbol too difficult to recognize and recall. But abstraction is good. Think of a cartoon. Humans and animals are abstracted to the important details, but enough detail remains to read body language. They are also exaggerated to make faces, and therefore emotions, easy to read. The key is finding the balance between abstraction and detail.
- Make it reducible Maps may be printed at a different size than originally designed. If you make symbols too detailed or fail to exaggerate enough, the symbol will not be effective at smaller sizes.
- Design for one color Maps may be printed in blank and white. To accommodate printing, design symbols for one color, then you may add additional colors for enhancement.
- Use negative space Negative space, or white space, can add a special dynamic to make your symbol really stick out and be memorable. Carefully consider the effects of negative space when designing symbols.
- Give it appropriate weight Visual weight is the opposite of negative space. It is dark space, or the amount of black ink in relation to white space. Make symbols sufficient in weight to attract attention on the map without dominating. Balance symbols with labels and the other symbols on the map.
- Give it appropriate direction Viewers perceive symbols that have a movement up and to the right as positive. Down and to the left are negative. Consider the movement with the symbol "feel" you want to achieve.
- Don't mix line-outline and silhouette symbols Mixing different forms causes a symbol to look disjointed... giving a feeling of lack of connection and organization. Lack of organization confuses viewers and distracts from the map. Make your symbols consistent in design.