GIS-Pro 2026

Merely using tools of the trade does not make a person an effective mechanic, surgeon….or cartographer. An effective, successful map portrays a place, delivers a message, or reveals a pattern with representational accuracy and visual clarity. The test of accuracy and clarity is how well the audience perceives the map and understands its intended purpose. This workshop is designed to help mapmakers achieve that result and to enable anyone involved in the mapmaking process to understand how that happens.
This is a one-day survey of a subject that can take years to master. Even for someone who has been making maps for years, mastery can erode as new data, new techniques, and new technologies bring fresh design challenges and potential. The good news is that full mastery of this broad subject is not required to make good and successful maps. At least some knowledge about, or a better understanding of, the individual topics that we will cover in this workshop can help us all make successful maps and take on new cartographic design challenges.
 
1. Why make a map
2. Essentials of map theory
3. Cartographic Process – Connecting the map client with the map user via the cartographer
4. Map Element Fundamentals
5. Map Data Best Practices
6. Essential Map Design
7. Map Production
8. Reading the Map – Map evaluation

Cost: One full-day or one half-day workshop is included with full conference registration. The cost to add a second half-day workshop is $100 member/$125 nonmember.