By Kaitlin Yarnall
How did you initially get interested in design? I never thought that I would dedicate myself to design in and of itself. However, I did know that I would, in some form, communicate ideas. I stumbled into a cartography class as an undergrad and loved it. For me, it felt like the perfect mix of art, math (projections! statistics!) and communication. Most complex issues can be understood through a spatial lens, and a map is one of the best tools we have for communicating these patterns.
How is cartography similar to and different from graphic design? Many of the principles of good cartography are the same as the principles of good design, while others are unique or intensified. Type hierarchy, for instance, becomes extremely important in good cartography as you often have to place layers of written information in a defined space on a screen or a page. Typography is one tool to differentiate a river from a road, a county from a country, or an archeological site from a town by using differing fonts, weights, styles, sizes, etc.
Decisions around information density are crucial to good cartography. Cartographers are forced to choose the amount of information they portray according to the scale of the map they’re making. This is true in print and even more so in web-based slippy maps [maps that allow you to zoom in]. There is an infinite amount of spatial, place-based data a cartographer can put on a map. The skill is deciding what is vital without overwhelming the reader. In reference cartography, this means what is essential to navigation or geolocation. In thematic cartography this means choosing the elements necessary to tell the stories while still creating something visually appealing. Above all, good maps are useful tools as well as works of art.
The use of color to represent information is crucial to good cartography and it’s a fundamental part of our cultural and geographic literacy (blue for water, green for parks, etc.). To change or play with these norms (black water, for instance), a good cartographer has to use restraint. How many colors can a reader distinguish? What are the connotations of coloring an entire country red? Maps, more than other forms of charting or information graphics, become part of our shared visual history. Color has even greater meaning when applied to “where I live” or “where they live.”
Also, cartographers have to think in three dimensions. True spatial understanding depends on it—elevation is the Z axis for many maps. This training and respect for vertical exaggeration is something that should be better utilized as the world of 3-D software, web information graphics and tools explodes.
What advice would you give to a photographer or designer looking to break into National Geographic? I’d say to pursue excellence above all else. When hiring, I look for someone with the highest visual and journalistic standards. We can teach you specific software, style, techniques, etc. What we can’t teach is good taste, inherent talent and a drive to produce at the very highest level. I’d also say to pursue a passion project and don’t be afraid to boldly defend it.
What’s one of your recent projects that you’re proud of? I’ve been working intensely on our Future of Food series the past eighteen months. I’m proud of how much it has resonated with our audience. I’m also proud that we’ve been able to make sense of the complex space that is food security and communicate visually challenging topics in a fresh, accessible way. Gathering data around food and explaining the topic through statistics has truly differentiated us.
Do you have any creative pursuits other than cartography and creative directing? These take up most of my time! Cooking has become more and more of a creative outlet. There’s something deeply satisfying about the tangible and multi-sensory experience.
How do you stay inspired? I’m inspired by the team I work with. This team includes artists, information graphics editors, cartographers, geographers, graphic designers and developers. When I’m frustrated or exhausted, I’m reenergized by walking through our newsroom and glancing at the screens of our graphics team, entering the art studio of senior graphics editor Fernando Baptista, attending a final show by one of our photographers who’s fresh in from the field, or talking to one of our explorers. It would be nearly impossible to stay stuck or uninspired with this talent around us. National Geographic is also special as it’s a nonprofit. Our value statement is: we believe in the power of exploration, science and storytelling to change the world. All profits made by our media group are used to fund science and exploration. This gives me a sense of really participating in and contributing to something much bigger than just a magazine or a website.
How is cartography similar to and different from graphic design? Many of the principles of good cartography are the same as the principles of good design, while others are unique or intensified. Type hierarchy, for instance, becomes extremely important in good cartography as you often have to place layers of written information in a defined space on a screen or a page. Typography is one tool to differentiate a river from a road, a county from a country, or an archeological site from a town by using differing fonts, weights, styles, sizes, etc.
Decisions around information density are crucial to good cartography. Cartographers are forced to choose the amount of information they portray according to the scale of the map they’re making. This is true in print and even more so in web-based slippy maps [maps that allow you to zoom in]. There is an infinite amount of spatial, place-based data a cartographer can put on a map. The skill is deciding what is vital without overwhelming the reader. In reference cartography, this means what is essential to navigation or geolocation. In thematic cartography this means choosing the elements necessary to tell the stories while still creating something visually appealing. Above all, good maps are useful tools as well as works of art.
The use of color to represent information is crucial to good cartography and it’s a fundamental part of our cultural and geographic literacy (blue for water, green for parks, etc.). To change or play with these norms (black water, for instance), a good cartographer has to use restraint. How many colors can a reader distinguish? What are the connotations of coloring an entire country red? Maps, more than other forms of charting or information graphics, become part of our shared visual history. Color has even greater meaning when applied to “where I live” or “where they live.”
Also, cartographers have to think in three dimensions. True spatial understanding depends on it—elevation is the Z axis for many maps. This training and respect for vertical exaggeration is something that should be better utilized as the world of 3-D software, web information graphics and tools explodes.
What advice would you give to a photographer or designer looking to break into National Geographic? I’d say to pursue excellence above all else. When hiring, I look for someone with the highest visual and journalistic standards. We can teach you specific software, style, techniques, etc. What we can’t teach is good taste, inherent talent and a drive to produce at the very highest level. I’d also say to pursue a passion project and don’t be afraid to boldly defend it.
What’s one of your recent projects that you’re proud of? I’ve been working intensely on our Future of Food series the past eighteen months. I’m proud of how much it has resonated with our audience. I’m also proud that we’ve been able to make sense of the complex space that is food security and communicate visually challenging topics in a fresh, accessible way. Gathering data around food and explaining the topic through statistics has truly differentiated us.
Do you have any creative pursuits other than cartography and creative directing? These take up most of my time! Cooking has become more and more of a creative outlet. There’s something deeply satisfying about the tangible and multi-sensory experience.
How do you stay inspired? I’m inspired by the team I work with. This team includes artists, information graphics editors, cartographers, geographers, graphic designers and developers. When I’m frustrated or exhausted, I’m reenergized by walking through our newsroom and glancing at the screens of our graphics team, entering the art studio of senior graphics editor Fernando Baptista, attending a final show by one of our photographers who’s fresh in from the field, or talking to one of our explorers. It would be nearly impossible to stay stuck or uninspired with this talent around us. National Geographic is also special as it’s a nonprofit. Our value statement is: we believe in the power of exploration, science and storytelling to change the world. All profits made by our media group are used to fund science and exploration. This gives me a sense of really participating in and contributing to something much bigger than just a magazine or a website.
Kaitlin Yarnall is an executive editor at National Geographic magazine and the director of cartography for the National Geographic Society. She leads the teams charged with maps, information graphics and illustration. Yarnall’s work has been recognized by the Society for News Design, the American Society of Magazine Editors and Malofiej. She has been at National Geographic for ten years and has formerly held the titles of deputy creative director, deputy art director and senior editor cartography. Yarnall has a master’s degree in geography from the George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University. She is originally from Eureka, California, and lives in Washington, DC, with her husband.
