Independent Cartographic Storytelling

Less is more, but not always enough. The visual language of @the.cartographist aims for clarity without reducing maps to the bare minimum. A map still has to attract attention before it can reward it.

Colour palettes are therefore designed to be harmonious but functional, while devices such as tonal bands, relief shading and carefully balanced graphic detail add visual richness without overwhelming the information. The resulting style often draws on analogue mid-century cartographic design, translated into a contemporary visual language for small screens.

The double-hemisphere world map emerged from the challenge of fitting a horizontal world map onto a vertical screen. Splitting the world into two views improves the legibility of small features, avoids awkward cropping, gives the Pacific greater prominence and moves Europe away from its habitual central position.

While not free from area distortion, the hemispheres also remind viewers that the Earth is a globe rather than the rectangular world familiar from modern map services using the Web Mercator projection. Recent reactions to the UN’s recommendation to favour Equal Earth showed just how strongly digital mapping has shaped that mental image – at times as if Mercator were the only way to depict the world.

Beyond the debate over supposedly ‘fair’ world maps, the paired hemispheres have become one of the most distinctive visual signatures on @the.cartographist.

Maps remain the central medium of @the.cartographist, but some topics benefit from complementary charts and diagrams. These are used selectively to show change over time, compare quantities or add context that would be difficult to communicate spatially. They follow the same visual language as the maps and are intended to support – rather than compete with – the geographic story.

Global topics are generally accompanied by a country list, which identifies the ISO country codes used on the map and provides space for exact data values that would otherwise add unnecessary visual density to the map itself.

The techniques used to keep small states and widely dispersed island nations visible – without giving them disproportionate visual weight – have gradually been refined into a coherent visual system. Rather than relying on a single solution, the maps combine devices such as insets, halos, bands, outlines and connecting lines, while maintaining a crisp and consistent graphic style.

Base maps are usually prepared in QGIS, where projection, geometry and geographic accuracy can be handled systematically and efficiently.

The transition into Illustrator and Photoshop nevertheless happens deliberately early. This keeps generalisation, visual hierarchy, typography, colour and editorial judgement closely connected to the geographic material rather than treating them as a final layer of decoration.

Automation is used where it reduces repetitive work, but the maps themselves remain deliberately human-led. AI helps structure projects, organise research and develop narratives, but it is not used to generate the cartography itself. Decisions about classification, generalisation, emphasis and interpretation remain part of the manual design process.

Generative AI is used selectively for illustrations and supporting visual elements. These are not treated as finished outputs, but combined with self-produced material and further edited as part of the overall composition.