The Cartography Studio exists to advance students’ cartographic thinking and map-production skills through experiential learning and in partnership with real-world clients on- and off campus.
With a 50+ year history at Syracuse University, the Cartography Studio specializes in print and digital general reference maps, quantitatively derived thematic maps, and qualitative narrative maps along with other data visualizations (e.g., charts, graphs, zines, and illustrations) to highlight spatial stories of the past, present, and futures!
More specifically, we provide the following services:
The Cartography Studio is a leader in critical, student-driven cartography—pushing the boundaries of mapmaking to advance research, teaching, and spatial social change.
The Cartography Studio is a student-centered lab that transforms spatial data into meaningful visual stories by collaborating closely with clients to design context-rich maps and visualizations that challenge conventional norms, center questions of power throughout the design process, and amplify voices for social change.
To get started, email [email protected] with details about your request.
Meghan Kelly (Faculty Director) will review your information and get back to you within a week with questions or if needed, a consultation before providing a quote and contract for our services. Once a contract is signed, you will be assigned to a student cartographer who will begin the mapping process. Meghan will provide student support throughout the mapping process and will be available for all client relations and questions.
While mapping processes vary, our process for one map typically includes background research, data collection and any necessary data analysis, a discussion of visualization options with preliminary sketches, and 2-3 drafts of each map for client feedback and revisions. This process concludes with publication-ready maps.