Apples map
This map is particularly bad for a variety of reasons: First off the person trying to interpret this map has no idea what the cartographer was trying to map in the first place. The index is titled any apple, which makes no sense to me whatsoever. Additionally, the map has no title, no divisions (county boundaries), poor color choices and poor clarity. The figure ground of this map is also poor, there is no neat line or drop shadow in the background. The legibility of the symbols/legend is average but is lacking a title and author. The color choice was not great, the cartographer should have chosen a different color scheme instead of using yellow and orange.
http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/altreport/2010/04/map-america-illustrates-density-apple-users-tech-gadget-ass-holes.html
Fox News Middle East MapLeave it to Fox News to screw up a map of the Middle East. Clearly the labels on this map are wrong (Iraq is not Egypt) Additionally, some countries are not even labeled at all such as Kuwait, Oman, The UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bahrain. The visual hierarchy of this map is well defined, the countries stick out and are legible, although not all of them are labeled. The labels that are on he map are easy to read and are bold and the oceans need to be labeled as well. The map's balance is well defined, and the color choices are also acceptable.
http://geographer-at-large.blogspot.com/2011/02/wtf-is-this-bad-maps.html
Elder Scrolls video game map:
This map is based on the fantasy video game the Elder Scrolls and was created by the Bethesda Softworks Company. This map is very beautiful. The cartographers choices of colors really makes each of the provinces stand out and defines the boundaries of each province correctly. These colors give this map strong balance and the type of font used on the map also helps define the colors even better. The labels on this map are carefully placed and are easy to read as well. The cartographer of this map also shows the mountain ranges, lakes and marshes accurately and neatly. The cities are properly defined and labeled as well (visual hierarchy)
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/10/108693/2024805-Oblivion-World-Map.jpg
A satirical map of Europe during the 1870's:
This map was created by the french during France/Prussian war in 1870. It is supposed to make fun of political figures of that era. The balance of this map is not bad, the color choices are a bit dull perhaps but the artwork of the various political figures is outstanding. The labels are a bit hard to read and are positioned wrong. The ocean labels are also not italicised. Additionally, there is no legend for this map but it does have a scale at the bottom. Certain objects/features on this map are hard to read/decipher which makes this map not very clear. I also don't know all of the political figures from this time so that also could have an impact on its visual appeal.
http://sensorymetrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/cartoonmap.jpg
National Park Map of Yellowstone:
This map is provided to every visitor when they enter the park through any of the entrances. I have had to help visitors navigate the park by showing them locations on this map. I worked Yellowstone in the summer of 2010 through the SCA. This map was made with Adobe illustrator. The labels are positioned correctly and are labeled the correct way as well. The text is very clear to read and so is the legend at the bottom. Park boundaries are well defined and important locations within the park are also well defined. There is a scale, north arrow, legend, and information regarding closures and other important information about the park. Feature stand out clearly such as mountain ranges and lakes. Additionally the color scheme and shading for lakes, mountains, and rivers are also well chosen and are easy to read. The caldera boundary is well defined and doesn't confuse the reader while looking at the map. Roads and numbers of roads are also accurately positioned and are easy to read as well. This map is by far the best map I have reviewed in this blog.
http://www.sangres.com/dimages/nationalparks/yellowstone/yellowstone-map-big01.gif
