Kaelin M. Groom, PhD

Not all cartographic output are just maps for books or publications. Larger items such as atlases and posters are also common. This poster (~3ft x 4ft) and its icons were created for the Grenada National Museum in St. George's, Grenada. Designed with bright colors to catch visitors' attention and maintain continuity with the rest of the museum's exhibits.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful analytical tool but the automated map outputs are rarely cartographically efficient and require further design manipulation. This is a page from an atlas I created after analyzing sediment displacement in Castlewood Canyon State Park, CO.

Also part of my Castlewood Canyon study, this map serves as a reference to the study site setting and topographic context. The degree of complexity depends on scale, map size, and subject.

Created for a pending publication, this map shows that maps don't need to be complicated to be informative. Often times, simpler maps communicate more effectively than their complex or over-designed counterparts.

This reference map of St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles illustrates how color is not necessary to create a beautiful map. The decision between color or greyscale is either a matter of design preference, publisher requirements, or printing costs.

This reference map of St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles illustrates that while greyscale maps can be beautiful, sometime a little color can make a big difference. The decision between color or greyscale is either a matter of design preference, publisher requirements, or printing costs.

Sometimes, the output for maps is digital, such as presentations or websites, and are intended to be viewed in a dark setting. This requires different visual hierarchy where lighter colors on a dark background are more effective than the traditional dark colors on a light background.

Choropleth thematic maps display areal data where polygons are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map, such as population density or per-capita income.

Used to communicate two elements of the same data simultaneously, sectored coin maps display both total quantity (size of the coins) as well as composition (wedges in coins).