Seeing
Seeing can be defined as the process of actively and deliberately observing and
absorbing the imaginative creations of others. GIS professionals are often lacking
in this realm. Ask yourself how many times you’ve sat down and studied a book
full of maps in order to gain inspiration for projects, for example. What are some
ways to practice seeing? The easiest and probably most important way is to view art
(not just maps) on a regular basis. You can accomplish this either in large chunks
of time each year or on daily forays, but however you do it, rest assured that it
will make a significant impact on the professionalism, communicative ability, and
memorableness of your map designs. Visit local museums and gardens, view archi‑
tecture, read any of the multitudes of art and design books, and peruse magazines in
any of these genres. You can most certainly include the study of maps from classic
and contemporary cartographers in this list of seeing activities as well but it need
not be limited to those.