We are going to have to face it: mapmaking is in many respects a creative pro‑
cess. Even if you know all of the standard practices that exist for maps, you will
still have to deal with your unique data and mapping goals. And the only way to
deal with those is to employ your creative skills. A lack of those skills could be
extremely detrimental to your achievement of cartographic excellence. This brings
us to a concept of duality in map design: you need knowledge of mapping stan‑
dards and creative intelligence. Without the standards know‑how, you risk every‑
thing from leaving out a bit of information that could have been useful all the way
to making grievous communications errors. Without the creative skills, you could
make maps that look nondescript, that don’t adequately illustrate your unique data
and their ramifications, that don’t increase your professional capital, and that fail
to leave a lasting impression. That is why this book, which consists largely of
explanations of standards, is only part of the equation. That doesn’t mean that
we will neglect the creative aspect of mapmaking, however. This chapter is all
about helping you to improve your design skills through creative exercise, and
other chapters include reminders to do things your unique way or suggestions for
unusual mapping techniques. With those tools you should be able to increase your
creative skills on your own and thereby improve your map products considerably