ABSTRACT
The color on a map layout is like frosting on a cake. Sure, the frosting is the best part of a cake, but a lump of pure frosting without a nice, well-made cake under it has no reason for being. The same goes for a map layout decorated with great colors but with no clear underlying message. That’s why good color choices are nice to have, but aren’t the most important aspect of your maps and layouts. By telling you that, my main motive is to take away the fear that sometimes gets hold of us analytical types when we have to do something artsy. If color can be proved to be of secondary importance, then perhaps it will not be so intimidating. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can ignore color altogether. No, we need both color and the underlying substance. To continue with the analogy, a cake without frosting is no fun at all.
