If one is a fan of Nightingale, then hopefully the name RJ Andrews means something to you already. He helped us dig into the dataviz work of Florence Nightingale when we launched and he’s a regular contributor on all things historic dataviz. Beyond that, he’s my friend with a common passion — Isotype.

如果一个人是夜莺的粉丝，那么希望RJ Andrews这个名字已经对您有意义。 当我们推出时，他帮助我们深入研究了弗洛伦斯·南丁格尔 ( Florence Nightingale)的dataviz工作，并且他是所有历史dataviz的定期撰稿人。 除此之外，他是我的朋友，有着共同的激情-同类型。

Recently, his Isotype-inspired fold-out map Cross-sections Through California caused a ruckus on Kickstarter snagging the coveted “Projects We Love” designation. If you act quickly, you can still contribute $26 to the campaign for a map and get a copy for yourself. I caught up with him to talk about his map, how he created it, and what he learned in the process.

最近，他的同型灵感来自折叠的地图“ 加利福尼亚的横断面”在Kickstarter上引起骚动，吸引了梦vet以求的“我们爱的项目”称号。 如果您Swift采取行动，您仍然可以向广告系列投放 $ 26，以获取地图并自己复制一份。 我和他谈了谈他的地图，他是如何创建的以及他在此过程中学到的知识。

Jason Forrest: How did you get the idea to recreate this kind of Isotype Map?

Jason Forrest：您是怎么想到重新创建这种Isotype Map的？

RJ Andrews: The California map idea emerged during fall 2019 at the intersection of two vectors: Isotype and NACIS.

RJ安德鲁斯(RJ Andrews)：加利福尼亚地图的想法在2019年秋季出现在两个向量的交叉点：Isotype和NACIS。

The first influence is a joyous obsession with Isotype information graphics. Isotype is a visual education process from the 1930s and ’40s that produced many iconic graphics. Isotype design seems particularly relevant now. Its approach makes data-driven understanding more appealing and accessible to all. While Isotype is widely known by its stack-of-icon bar charts, it also produced many maps.

第一个影响是对同型信息图形的喜好痴迷。 同型是从1930到40年代的视觉教育过程，产生了许多标志性图形。 同型设计现在似乎特别重要。 它的方法使数据驱动的理解更具吸引力，并且所有人都可以使用。 尽管Isotype以其图标堆栈的条形图而广为人知，但它也生成了许多地图。

The second influence stems from attending the 2019 meeting of NACIS (North American Cartographic Information Society). The conference was full of inspiring cartographers and many maps. Read a summary of my NACIS presentation How DataViz Sees Cartography on Twitter. Coming out of NACIS I wanted to make a map to submit to the NACIS Atlas of Design, a biennial publication of maps.

第二个影响来自参加2019年NACIS (北美地图信息社会)会议。 会议充满了鼓舞人心的制图师和许多地图。 阅读我的NACIS演示文稿的摘要，DataViz如何在Twitter上查看制图。 从NACIS出来后，我想制作一张地图，提交给NACIS 设计地图集，该地图集每两年出版一次。

So Isotype and NACIS were the background motivators. A couple of weeks after NACIS I posted an Isotype map on Twitter that attracted the attention of many designers I admire including Riley D. Champine, Maarten Lambrechts, and Zan Armstrong. This was the first outside encouragement I received to pursue this style.

因此，Isotype和NACIS是背景动机。 NACIS发布几周后，我在Twitter上发布了Isotype地图，吸引了许多我敬佩的设计师的注意力，其中包括Riley D. Champine，Maarten Lambrechts和Zan Armstrong。 这是我接受这种风格的第一个外部鼓励。

JF: Why did you want to design your map for California specifically?

JF：您为什么要专门为加利福尼亚设计地图？

RA: I moved to California in 2015. Immediately I was amazed by its geography. Growing up exploring the U.S. Eastern Seaboard’s rolling hills was poor preparation for the American West. The West is just so big. This initial wonder motivated me to create Profiling the Parks, a short film about the U.S. National Parks that cored on elevations cross-sections.

RA：我于2015年移居加利福尼亚。我立刻对它的地理位置感到惊讶。 在美国东部海岸连绵起伏的丘陵上探险时，对美国西部的准备不足。 西方是如此之大。 最初的奇迹激发了我去创作Profiling the Parks的故事，这是一部关于美国国家公园的短片，以高程剖面为核心。

Since then I befriended Rob Simmon, earth-visualizer extraordinaire. Across many conversations he has taught me about California’s unique land, always spiking my curiosity to learn more. Rob also gave me constant encouragement and feedback throughout my making of the California map — it would not exist without his input.

从那时起，我成为了地球可视化专家非凡的Rob Simmon的朋友。 在许多对话中，他使我了解了加利福尼亚的独特土地，总是激起我的好奇心以了解更多信息。 在我制作加利福尼亚地图的整个过程中，罗伯还给予了我不断的鼓励和反馈-没有他的投入就不会存在。

JF: When you went to create the map, did you find any challenges with sourcing or processing the data?

JF：当您创建地图时，您在寻找或处理数据方面是否遇到任何挑战？

RA: The underlying datasets are USGS elevations and land coverage from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) consortium.

RA：基础数据集是多分辨率土地特征(MRLC)联盟的USGS高程和土地覆盖率。

The most unique data challenge resulted from rotating north-south away from vertical. The rotation better fits California’s shape onto the rectangular canvas. The rotation also presents the state in a way we think about California: the Sierra-Nevada mountains and Central Valley run up-down, not exactly north-south. The Pacific coastline faces left, but not exactly west.

最独特的数据挑战来自于从垂直方向向南北旋转。 旋转更好地将加利福尼亚的形状拟合到矩形画布上。 轮换还以我们对加利福尼亚的思考方式呈现了该州：内华达山脉和中央谷地上下颠倒，而不是完全南北。 太平洋海岸线朝左，但不完全向西。

This rotation has some precedent. California road maps going back to at least 1917 have rotated the Golden State, such as this “Automobile highway map of California and western Nevada” by the California State Automobile Association, 1917.

这种轮换有一些先例。 至少可以追溯到1917年的加利福尼亚路线图已经旋转了金州，例如1917年加利福尼亚州汽车协会的“加利福尼亚州和内华达州的汽车高速公路图”。

I chose the final rotation angle by working with Andre Kaschcha. He added a feature to his cross-section mapping tool that allowed me to rotate California and select the angle I thought looked best. See how the north arrows points away from the vertical and state labels are rotated to match:

我通过与Andre Kaschcha合作选择了最终旋转角度。 他在横截面贴图工具中添加了一个功能，使我可以旋转“加利福尼亚”并选择我认为最合适的角度。 查看北箭头如何偏离垂直方向，并旋转状态标签以使其匹配：

The data implication of this rotation was planning the cross-sections. In other projects, elevation cross-sections follow a constant latitude. But once I rotated the map I needed to consider how to define the course of the cross-sections so that they still appeared horizontal.

此旋转的数据含义正在计划横截面。 在其他项目中，高程截面遵循恒定的纬度。 但是，一旦我旋转了地图，我就需要考虑如何定义横截面的路线，以便它们仍显示为水平。

The California map uses the Mercator projection, the classic map projection for navigation. The Mercator projection has the useful property of representing any course of constant bearing as a straight segment. Such a constant bearing course is known as a rhumb line.

加利福尼亚地图使用墨卡托投影，这是用于导航的经典地图投影。 墨卡托投影的有用特性是将恒定方位的任何路线表示为直线段。 这样的恒定的轴承行程被称为横摆线。

I needed to define rhumb lines that passed through points of interest. I addressed this challenge by using a rhumb line calculator. For each cross-section profile, I began with a lat/long of a point of interest. From there I used the calculator to build out a line with constant bearing, iterating until I had start and endpoints that went from the Pacific Ocean and beyond the extent of my map. It was an iterative process to get each line right. With endpoints determined, I could then pull the right USGS elevation data, careful to sample the data at the same density along each line.

我需要定义穿过兴趣点的横线。 我通过使用菱形线计算器解决了这一挑战。 对于每个横截面轮廓，我从感兴趣的经纬度开始。 在那之后，我使用计算器构建了一条具有恒定方位角的线，进行迭代，直到获得起点和终点，这些终点都来自太平洋并且超出了地图的范围。 使每条线正确是一个反复的过程。 确定端点后，我便可以提取正确的USGS高程数据，小心地沿每条线以相同的密度采样数据。

JF: Isotypes inherently aggregate data to make a subject more understandable and easier to remember. What was your process or strategy for understanding the data and aggregating it into a more generalized format?

JF：同型本来就是聚合数据，以使主题更易于理解和记忆。 您了解数据并将其汇总为更通用格式的过程或策略是什么？

RA: This map will not help you win an orienteering competition. It is a fluffy design meant to convey big sweeping contrasts across California: valleys and mountains, arid and temperate, tamed and wild.

RA：这张地图不会帮助您赢得定向越野比赛。 这是一种蓬松的设计，旨在传达整个加利福尼亚州的巨大对比：山谷和山脉，干旱和温带，驯服和野性。

My California map is created at the same graphic scale as original Isotypes: icons, fonts, textures, and line size are all consistent with original Isotype publications. However, the California map’s canvas size is much bigger than any original Isotype map. Their maps fit on the spread of a small book while mine is a large fold-out print.

我的加利福尼亚地图是按照与原始Isotypes相同的图形比例创建的：图标，字体，纹理和线条大小均与原始Isotype出版物一致。 但是，加利福尼亚地图的画布大小比任何原始的Isotype地图大得多。 他们的地图适合一本书的散布，而我的地图则是大型折叠式印刷品。

This canvas-size difference means that the entire California composition contains much more information than a typical Isotype map. Despite this difference, I believe that my essential design challenge was the same as the original Isotype: abstract data to caricature proportions in a helpful way. I did this abstraction all by eye.

这种画布大小的差异意味着整个加利福尼亚组成包含比典型的Isotype映射更多的信息。 尽管存在这种差异，但我认为我的基本设计挑战与原始Isotype相同：以一种有用的方式将数据抽象到漫画比例。 我全凭眼神做了这个抽象。

For the elevation data, I began by loading the elevation data into Adobe Illustrator (using its onboard charting tool — a first time for me!). This data appears very spiky in the black shape below. This is partially because California has some sharp peaks and also because of the low resolution I am sampling data at.

对于高程数据，我首先将高程数据加载到Adobe Illustrator中(使用其板载图表工具，这对我来说是第一次！)。 该数据在下面的黑色形状中显得非常刺眼。 这部分是因为加利福尼亚有一些尖峰，也因为我采样数据的分辨率较低。

To smooth the spikes and achieve the desired aesthetic effect I processed the profiles using Illustrator’s new Simplify Path feature. This process reduces the number of anchor points necessary to create a vector shape. It smooths the profile. Then I tweaked the profile’s anchor points manually until I achieved a satisfactory cartoon of the original data (the red line in the above image). Throughout this process, I kept the original data plot in the background as a visual reference.

为了平滑峰值并达到所需的美学效果，我使用了Illustrator的新“简化路径”功能处理了轮廓。 此过程减少了创建矢量形状所需的锚点数量。 它使轮廓平滑。 然后，我手动调整了配置文件的锚点，直到获得令人满意的原始数据卡通(上图中的红线)。 在整个过程中，我将原始数据图保留在后台作为可视参考。

The land cover data is also greatly abstracted from detailed data. The map style represents a large amount of land with a single icon. I considered the dominant land cover along the profile section represented by the icon and also the area north and south. It was helpful that the native land cover data color scheme is very similar to the Isotype categorical color scheme.

土地覆盖数据也从详细数据中大大提取。 地图样式使用单个图标表示大量土地。 我考虑了由图标代表的剖面部分以及北部和南部地区的主要土地覆盖。 原始土地覆盖数据颜色方案与Isotype分类颜色方案非常相似，这很有帮助。

JF: The drawing of your map is delightful. Since you explained the illustrations in your last book, what kind of gems of wisdom did you learn when you created this project?

JF：您的地图绘制令人愉快。 自从您在上本书中解释了插图之后，创建该项目时学到了什么智慧？

RA: There is a natural variation in the original Isotype publications that helps make them so attractive. This original variation comes from the way in which they were printed and especially from the way their inks interacted. The scratches, overprints, and bleed-throughs make each icon unique.

RA：原始的同型出版物自然存在变异，有助于使它们如此吸引人。 最初的变化来自它们的印刷方式，尤其是它们的墨水相互作用的方式。 划痕，叠印和渗色使每个图标都独一无二。

Imitating this roughness is a fool’s errand. However, I made a small attempt at variation by using multiple digital illustrations of each icon. For example, there is not one green pine on the map, but a half dozen. Each one is slightly different because of the variation of my original hand. These differences should not be detected by even a discerning viewer, but I believe they contribute to the overall composition feeling more human.

模仿这种粗糙度是傻瓜的事。 但是，我通过使用每个图标的多个数字插图进行了一些小的尝试。 例如，地图上没有一棵绿松，而是六棵。 由于我原始手的变化，每只手都略有不同。 即使是有眼光的观众也不应察觉到这些差异，但我相信它们有助于整体构图更人性化。

JF: What was the process to complete the map and how did it differ from other projects?

JF：完成地图的过程是什么，它与其他项目有何不同？

This map is different because it is my first ‘print-first’ project! I have created many data stories over the past decade, but they have all been for the web. One of the problems with doing print is it takes forever compared to digital. One of the things that makes this great is that I had a lot of time to reflect on the map design and make it better.

这张地图有所不同，因为它是我的第一个“打印优先”项目！ 在过去的十年中，我创建了许多数据故事，但它们都是用于网络的。 与数字印刷相比，进行印刷的问题之一是它要花很多时间。 使之如此出色的原因之一是，我有很多时间来思考和改进地图设计。

JF: What kind of advice do you have for other dataviz practitioners to create their own isotypes, maps, or historically influenced works?

JF：您对其他dataviz专业人员创建自己的同型，地图或受历史影响的作品有何建议？

RA: Mimicking historic information graphics can teach you a lot. There are lessons in the experience that I do not know how to access otherwise. You learn about design decisions made by the original creator. When you try to repurpose original approaches for your own data you realize how perfectly those original forms were fit to the original data — and how hard it is to transfer them. It’s a really worthwhile and insight-inspiring challenge.

RA：模仿历史信息图形可以教给您很多知识。 经验中有一些我不知道如何访问的经验教训。 您将了解由原始创建者做出的设计决策。 当您尝试将原始方法重新用于您自己的数据时，您会意识到这些原始格式与原始数据的匹配程度以及传输它们的难度。 这是一个真正值得和启发灵感的挑战。

I like to get deep enough into historic aesthetics that I can make a faithful copy. However, the goal is not to make something that could pass for an original on inspection. Mere aesthetic imitation would put your own design in some danger. When you mimic historic work, you fall in love with design flourishes that aren’t really relevant to today’s audiences. It is hard to know what design details are useful.

我喜欢深入了解历史美学，可以忠实复制。 但是，目标不是制造出可以通过检查的原件。 单纯的美学模仿会使您自己的设计处于危险之中。 当您模仿历史性作品时，您会爱上与今天的受众群体无关的设计蓬勃发展。 很难知道哪些设计细节有用。

To solve this trap it is essential to have your work critiqued by others. You [Jason Forrest], Kenneth Field, Rob Simmon, Catherine Madden, and Rosemary Wardley all critiqued drafts of Cross-sections through California. Sometimes you told me what wasn’t working. Often you told me how to do it better.

要解决此陷阱，必须让他人批评您的工作。 您[Jason Forrest]，Kenneth Field，Rob Simmon，Catherine Madden和Rosemary Wardley都对贯穿加利福尼亚的横截面草图进行了评论。 有时您告诉我什么不起作用。 您经常告诉我如何做得更好。

For example, an early version of the California map included an original Isotype symbol of a black dead tree:

例如，加利福尼亚地图的早期版本包括黑色枯树的原始Isotype符号：

It was only through critique that I learned that this dead tree icon did not work. No one understood what it meant!

只有通过批评，我才知道这棵枯树图标不起作用。 没有人知道这意味着什么！

Another critique suggested I create a new icon to represent one of California’s unique natural wonders: the Joshua tree. Previous immersion into Isotype design helped me create a new symbol that fit with the originals:

另一个批评建议我创建一个新图标来代表加利福尼亚州独特的自然奇观之一：约书亚树。 先前沉浸于Isotype设计中有助于我创建一个与原始样式相符的新符号：

JF: Your kickstarter was funded in a week — there’s obviously an audience for this kind of work. What’s next?!?!!?

JF： 您的kickstarter 在一周之内就得到了资助-显然有这类工作的听众。 下一步是什么？！？！！？

RA: First, I am focused on printing, packaging, and delivering these maps!

RA：首先，我专注于打印，包装和交付这些地图！

I am generally interested in making more charts in an Isotype style. The successful funding of this campaign gave me the opportunity to develop several abstract Isotype charts about California for the back of the map. They are about California’s crops, energy, and population growth. You can preview their drafts below:

我通常对制作更多同型文字图表感兴趣。 这项活动的成功资助使我有机会在地图的背面开发了一些关于加利福尼亚的抽象Isotype图表。 它们与加利福尼亚的农作物，能源和人口增长有关。 您可以在下面预览其草稿：

Some have suggested I make more maps in this style. They want to see Cross-sections through New England, or the Rockies, or the Pacific Northwest. Maybe we should make an entire atlas. The next map will be easier to produce because the design language is now defined. But ultimately it is a very human design that cannot be fully scaled and executed by a machine. As a designer you need to select a set of elevation profiles that tells a story about the land and points of interest. This story must resonate with natives and visitors alike — I would need a local partner for each new map who really knows the territory. It’s all gotta hang together in a way that rings true. The computer can’t do that on its own.

有些人建议我制作更多这种风格的地图。 他们希望看到新英格兰，洛矶山脉或西北太平洋的断面图。 也许我们应该制作完整的地图集。 由于现在定义了设计语言，因此下一张地图将更易于生成。 但是最终，这是一个非常人性化的设计，无法由机器完全缩放和执行。 作为设计师，您需要选择一组高程剖面，以讲述有关土地和名胜古迹的故事。 这个故事必须引起当地人和游客的共鸣-我需要每个真正了解该领土的新地图的本地合作伙伴。 所有这些都必须以一种真实的方式挂在一起。 电脑不能自己做到这一点。

Finally, I am interested in printing more original work. I also want to help others print their own work. And I want to print books. More on that … soon!

最后，我对印刷更多原创作品感兴趣。 我也想帮助别人打印自己的作品。 我想印刷书籍。 更多……很快！

For more on Isotype:

有关Isotype的更多信息：