#30DayMapChallenge

Challenge Classic: Map with point data (e.g., individual locations, points of interest, clusters). Focus on effective symbolization and density visualization.

Classical Elements 2/4: Focus on the atmosphere. Map weather, wind patterns, air traffic, pollution, or airborne transmission (e.g., pollen, sound).

Challenge yourself to use the fewest possible elements (color, line weight, labels) while keeping the map clear, useful, and informative.

How will maps look 100 years from now? Create a speculative map of what might be (or what you hope will be).

Start the timer! The maximum allowed time to design and produce this map is 10 minutes. Focus on speed, simplicity, and core communication.

Use OpenStreetMap (OSM) data as your primary source. Map your favorite feature, contribute back to the project, or style the map in an interesting way.

Classical Elements 3/4: Focus on energy, light, or transformation. Map heat, wildfires, energy consumption, population density at night, or volcanic activity.

Map something composed of small, discrete units or networks. This could be a geographic cell (raster, tessellation), a cellular network, or a biological/social process (e.g., disease spread).

Challenge Classic: Experimentation is key! Create your map using a software, language, library, or technique you have never used before.

Map something non-Earth: a fantasy realm, an exoplanet, the Moon, Mars, deep space, or a purely conceptual place (e.g., a mental map).

(GIS Day) Focus entirely on map projections. Choose an unusual or misunderstood projection to highlight a theme, or visualize distortion. (See xkcd.com/977)

Challenge Classic: Map linear features (e.g., roads, rivers, migration paths, flow lines). Explore line thickness, color, and direction to convey information.

Classical Elements 4/4: Focus on the fluid. Map hydrology, oceans, currents, water accessibility, sea level rise, precipitation, or anything aquatic.

Create a map where icons, pictograms, or custom symbols are the main focus. Use them to highlight points of interest or replace traditional cartographic features.

Use the Natural Earth dataset as your primary source for a visually stunning small-scale world or continent map.

Show how you make a map. This could be a tutorial, a step-by-step graphic, a blog post, a video, or a screenshot of your work environment. Combine it with a map from another day!

Focus on toponymy (place names). Experiment with font choices, label placement, typography, multiple languages, or the history and meaning behind a name.

Challenge Classic: Use hexagonal binning (hexbins) or a hexagonal grid system to visualize your data. Celebrate this beautiful and efficient tessellation!

(World Sustainable Transport Day) Map mobility, traffic flow, public transit networks, logistics chains, or advocate for sustainable transport options.

Map lines of division—political, physical, ecological, or conceptual. Explore the meaning and impact of a dividing line, real or perceived.

(Black Friday) Interpret the theme of Black. The map can be purely monochromatic, represent absence/darkness (e.g., light pollution), or relate to themes of consumption.

Challenge Classic: Map using raster data. Focus on satellite imagery, elevation models (DEMs), land cover, or pixel-based art.

Challenge Classic: Create a map focused on area features (e.g., administrative regions, land use, boundaries). Use fills, patterns, and choropleth techniques.

Take a map you made during the month or an older piece and redesign it. Focus on improving the aesthetics, clarity, or data communication.

Map something personal using your own dataset. Visualize GPS traces, your commute, or a unique, small dataset you created. (Need simple data? Try geojson.io)

Classical Elements 1/4: Focus on the tangible and grounded. Map landforms, geology, soil, agriculture, elevation, or anything solid beneath your feet.

Map beyond 2D. Visualize data using 3D models, extrusions (building heights), depth, time (as a dimension), or an unconventional multivariate approach.

Map how people (or things) get around. Visualize travel time, barriers, inclusive design, public transport reach, or create a map that is itself highly accessible to all users.

(World Urbanism Day) Map the built environment: dense street networks, highrises, urban sprawl, city infrastructure, or population density within a metro area.

Step away from the screen! Create your map using traditional methods (e.g., pen, pencil, paint, collage, physical models). Show the handmade process!