Exercise 4- by Shona

A Fishing and Recreation Map of Manitoulin Island- Deconstructed

This map uses one of the “Five Hat Racks” systems of organizing information, that of Location. This is, “organization by geographical or spatial reference” and used, “when orientation and wayfinding are important or when information is meaningfully related to the geography of a place (e.g. a historic site).” Routes and their names, and icons representing points of interest such as marinas and campgrounds, are overlaid on a depiction of the space they cover.
Another way this map conveys information is Iconic Representation. Icons have been created for points of interest and are explained on the legend at the lower left side of the map. These icons allow one to easily spot destinations. Some of the icons are “Example” icons: “icons that use images of things that are commonly associated with an action, object or concept”, such as an image of a sailboat to represent a marina. Others are “arbitrary” icons that have to be learned: for example, the letter G indicates where to fish for Largemouth Bass.
Though this map works okay for conveying its information, I think its use of colour works against it, both aesthetically speaking, and for conveying information. The water, which is the “ground”, is in a much more saturated colour than the “figure”, the land mass of the island, and therefore “pops” out and draws the eye to it. The colour of land mass is also very bland. I think the purposes of this map would be better served if the island was done in richer greens and the body of water in a pale blue. And it might be more aesthetically pleasing, and thus more interesting to look at as well.