Collaborative Development of Symbols for Reference Maps

Geographic information is commonly disseminated and consumed through visual representations of features and their environmental context on maps. Using collaboration and interactive work to develop symbols for cartographic design Research in Cartography comprises several methods and theories to pursue map communication through understanding cognition Such search comes from the realisation that users' perceptual and cognitive abilities are essential for understanding maps Thus, to develop semantically more suitable symbols for understanding a group of users, it is required to consider cultural characteristics, as they will assist in navigation tasks and increase the accessibility of maps (Korpi & Ahonen-Rainio, 2010). According to Based on the study of patterns common to the outcomes, with support from Gestalt laws and semiotic theory, it is possible to develop groups of symbols connected through shared meaning elements to be tested in subsequent phases. Thus, we sought to define symbols developed for Brazilian users, suitable for the multi-scale representation and focused on user experience. The first experiment was carried out with individuals with diverse professional backgrounds. It was carried out remotely in early 2020, during the social isolation period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This activity aimed to develop new pictorial symbols for commercial buildings, public buildings, cultural spaces, bandstands, and cinemas in 1:2000 maps. In a previous phase, the symbols proposed by the cartographers alone did not pass the intended recognition threshold. Therefore, the five concept's meanings were presented to the volunteers, and they had to draw a symbol of what this concept would represent according to their understanding. Nine volunteers participated, so each provided drawings for all proposed concepts. Then, we observed which elements were common in the draw's variations and drew a new pictorial symbol using the common elements. Table Finally, the proposed symbols were tested in another study with 80 users and were mainly approved.