The Atlas Cookbook: Ten ingredients how to edit an atlas

Summary

The Atlas Cookbook: Ten Ingredients How to Edit an Atlas is a guidebook published by the ICA Commission on Atlases, offering comprehensive advice to atlas authors from conception to publication. Using the metaphor of a cookbook, it compares atlas production to running a restaurant: users' need for geo-information corresponds to the fundamental need for food; the atlas concept and type correspond to the restaurant's concept and location; the project team corresponds to the cooking team; data quality corresponds to ingredient quality; workflow corresponds to recipes; map design and visualization correspond to food presentation; user interface and interactivity correspond to cutlery and table settings; user feedback corresponds to customer reviews; and financial and political sustainability corresponds to bill payment. The book is organized into ten chapters covering organization and marketing, editorial aspects, atlas use, thematic and geographic content, data management, multimedia elements, GUI and layout design, map design and visualization, interactive functionality, and prototyping and evaluation. Written at a management level rather than a technical one, it is applicable to both digital and printed atlas projects, emphasizing user needs, data reliability, team collaboration, sustainability, and effective dissemination. Drawing on the extensive experience of multiple cartographic experts, the book provides practical examples and recommendations to inspire and guide the initiation and execution of new atlas projects.