Tailoring Base Maps: A Study on Air Quality Maps

Abstract

With the ease of creating maps using APIs, many thematic maps are now made by non-experts, often utilizing general-purpose base maps that are typically not well suited for the map’s intended purpose. Even though the importance of tailoring base maps to thematic content has been recognized in the literature, there is only a brief discussion of the theory and a lack of empirical testing. The objective of this study was to create a customized base map for the topic of air quality to evaluate its effectiveness. First, existing principles for base map design were identified through a literature review, providing insights from thematic cartography and web mapping, and through an evaluation of widely used base maps. A base map was developed with a focus on appearance, interactivity, and content. For the latter, particular consideration was given to factors influencing the thematic data. This customized base map was then integrated into a thematic web map and tested through an online survey, comparing its performance to another version that used a general-purpose base map. The results show that the custom base map is more effective than the general purpose base map, leading to a better understanding of the thematic data and aligning with existing literature. A final refinement was done based on user feedback, creating an optimized version of the base map. This study underscores the importance of customizing base maps to enhance the effectiveness of thematic maps, but more user testing is needed in future research to draw more general conclusions.