Step 1: Determine the Purpose for Making the Map

In the first work step, you have to think of the purpose of your map. What exactly do you want to show with this map? By answering this question, you will be able to emphasize on the corresponding spatial distribution of a phenomena. It is important that the chosen map presentation reflect the real world as much as possible. Moreover, you should avoid the reader drawing an incorrect conclusion. Therefore, in this first work step, you should be able to answer the following question:

• What does the real-world distribution of the phenomena look like? What would the distribution of the phenomenon or an object look like, if I would view it while travelling across the landscape? This is much more difficult when considering mobile objects (e.g. people), than for natural landscape features. This approach forces the mapmaker to think about different distribution levels and to choose the degree of complexity. Example: Map representation of the landuse and geology of the transverse valley of Moutier.
  Rollover the following picture to have a cartographic representation of it.
  Cartographic representation of reality (Spiess 1993)
  A: Oblique aerial picture from the south of the transverse valley of Moutier.
  B: Landuse and geology map of the transverse valley of Moutier (1:25,000).
• What is the aim of the map? What is the purpose of your map? What exactly do you want to show with this map? By answering these questions, you will be able to emphasize the corresponding spatial distribution of a phenomenon. It is important that the chosen map presentation reflect the real world as much as possible. Moreover, you should avoid the reader drawing an incorrect conclusion. To know more about this topic read, "How to lie with maps" written by (Monmonier 1996).
• What is the map user group for this map? As shown in the unit Map types, each user or user group brings a particular set of experiences, and use maps in a different way. Therefore, it is important to define well the needs of the potential map users in order not to build too complex or too simple maps.
• What is the publication media for this map? The resolution of computer screens is much lower than the resolution of high quality printing systems, but digital maps offer more colours and animation possibilities. These two examples show that publication media have a very important influence on different map parameters as resolution, size, colours or possible interactivity. Some technical limitations can also be asked for: imposition (folding) or both sides printing if the publication media is paper, limitation in number of colours for screen maps.
• What are the time and the financial possibilities to finish the map? What is the budget to buy appropriate data, what is the publishing price, for how many copies? When you create a map, you will also have to consider the financial point of view, so without being a financial expert, you have to administer the budget taking account all the spending for the map. For example, creating a high quality dot map will cost more than a surface map, regardless of the technical capabilities available in the printing media. Another important factor you have to take into consideration is time. How long do I have to complete the map?