![preview image](https://sites.smith.edu/gis-modules/wp-content/uploads/sites/48/2016/12/cd_intro-1-100x100.png)
Cartographers use a multi-disciplinary approach to design the best possible map for a given purpose and a given audience.
Cartographers apply many design principles when compiling their maps and constructing page layouts. Five of the main design principles are legibility, visual contrast, figure-ground, hierarchical organization, and balance. Together these form a system for seeing and understanding the relative importance of the content in the map and on the page.