The following is the current map of the San Francisco International Airport. Its primary focus is to give a quick overview of where major terminals and transportation facilities are located for drivers and passengers.
Balance: This map uses green, yellow and the grey scale to great effect. The colors are visually balanced by the structure of the land transportation and garaging system in grey-scale. The map also uses asymmetry to create balance by angling the perspective on the map uniquely.
First Impressions: Since there is a high chance that the person will be accessing this map while in motion, in a hurry or on a device while viewing this, “first impressions” definitely proves to be a key strategy in creating this map.
Activity-Centered Controls: There are no excess words or values on this map. In fact, the only words present are labels that determine the location that the person may be looking for. The map does an incredible job of replacing text with icons to present activity-centered controls in a graphic way.
Form Follows Functions: This map utilizes the forms of the garage system, ground transportation and docking-structure of the terminals and hangars to great effect. But blocking the structures with bright colors, the cartographer brings the viewers eye to the airport’s high-utility design. By outlining the routes of transportation in dark grey, the cartographer allows the viewer to instantly assess how the train allows its passengers to access terminals and the garage system.