Map courtesy of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/
This map shows florida by county, with small areas blocked off by color to report preserved areas. The balance of this map is fairly effective, as the title is centered, and map takes central precedence. The key and information are all at the bottom of the page, yet I would have placed them where the Gulf of Mexico is, to create better spacing. The visual hierarchy emphasis the same things, as the map takes precedence, and the other items are smaller, yet viable. The title could be a bot larger or bolder. This visual hierarchy makes the map clear, as the colors show distance preserves that reflect the keys information. The coral reef conservation program color however is brown, which is close tot the olive of the rest of the land so that is a bit confusing. The legibility is fail good, with the exception of the rivers and river names within the map itself. While all the ocean water is a light blue, the preserves are much darker, and on the olive colored land, it is impossible to read the names of distinct rivers and lakes. Finally the figure ground is a very good contrast. It appears the map was taken off Bing, and the brown/ green land contrasts the light blue ocean. The ocean color only extends to the edge of the map however, so the blank title, key, scale and sourcing information feels a little disconnected.
A Cartographic Semester 