We have an affinity for maps that use layout and perspective to tell stories in a different way. The dramatic and compelling map of avalanche risk in the Austrian Alps from Athina Georgiadi, Jakub Kaczorowski, Kseniia Nifontova, and Itay Swid is another example of that approach. We recently spoke with this group of cartographers to learn more about why and how they built this map as a panorama.
Maps.com: The panoramic perspective in your map really grabs the viewer’s attention when they first see it. What inspired you to create a map like this?
Georgiadi, Kaczorowski, Nifontova, and Swid: This map was created for our Alpine School project in autumn 2024. Panorama maps are exceptionally popular throughout the Alpine region—outdoors and indoors—and are featured in hotels, tourist information points, and local businesses. This popularity may be connected to ski tracks’ visualization, which commonly utilizes this style. Typically, these maps illustrate ski slopes, hiking trails, or local tourist attractions, making them widely accessible tools for visitors to understand their surroundings quickly.
Our inspiration came from wanting to present something distinctly different from traditional panorama maps. We recognized an essential yet often overlooked issue every mountain tourist faces: avalanches. Thus, we aimed to raise awareness about this significant hazard intuitively and visually impactfully.
For graphical inspiration, we explored examples of panorama maps and other visualizations on Pinterest. One concept particularly stood out for us: a black-and-white visualization from an urban planning project, where only crucial elements were highlighted in color. We decided to try a similar, minimalist design strategy to highlight the severity of avalanche risks.
This map is intended for all visitors to the Alpine region, especially hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who may underestimate the scale or frequency of avalanche hazards. While it doesn’t identify every danger spot, it effectively communicates the broader geographical scope of avalanche-prone areas, emphasizing that safety precautions should always be taken seriously. We hope our map makes people more cautious, informed, and prepared when exploring Alpine terrain. Additionally, we’ve included links and resources to help visitors plan safe trips and deepen their understanding of avalanche safety.
Maps.com: How did you build this map in this perspective? What tools and processes did you use?
Georgiadi, Kaczorowski, Nifontova, and Swid: First, we visited our viewpoint in person to understand the location better and drafted what we could see on a print of the DEM [digital elevation model]. After heading back, we started by gathering background knowledge on the topic, primarily using resources from the European Avalanche Warning Services. It helped us understand the key factors influencing avalanche formation, especially the importance of slope angles and orientation. We also collected some paper panorama maps in the Alps to better understand how they are designed and work.
We then moved on to the technical part, beginning with working on an all-Austria terrain model in ArcGIS Pro. We used the official governmental data, as it provides the highest resolution and accuracy. We clipped it to the relevant area to make the dataset more manageable. After pinpointing the viewpoint location using both map and scene views, we experimented with applying texture to the raster. We tried different blending options for the orthophoto to achieve the desired visual effect.
The next step was performing a slope analysis on the terrain model to highlight the most avalanche-prone areas. We then used selection tools to isolate these zones. Additionally, we retrieved OpenStreetMap data for cable car routes, hiking trails, and mountain peaks using Overpass turbo.
This reference material was crucial in the final design phase, ensuring the map was informative and contextually grounded. We then visualized two categories of avalanche-prone zones using shades of red, and exported the background map from ArcGIS to continue the design process in Adobe Illustrator.
To preserve the geographic accuracy of map elements such as trails, peaks, and infrastructure, we exported this data separately and overlaid it onto the background in Illustrator. We then redrew these elements, which gave us greater freedom in styling while keeping their spatial alignment intact.
Next, we added informative content from various sources, including websites and literature, explaining what avalanches are; how the European [Avalanche Warning Services’] Avalanche Danger Scale works; and how to prepare for, react to, and survive an avalanche. We designed custom symbols for each category of tips, created through multiple iterations using keywords in Illustrator. Each category was color coded to improve clarity and quick recognition.
Finally, we added the bold title AVALANCHE RISK to draw the attention of passersby and emphasize the topic’s urgency.
Maps.com: Did anything surprise you in the process of making this map?
Georgiadi, Kaczorowski, Nifontova, and Swid: What turned out to be surprising was how uncommon knowledge about avalanches is—and that we ourselves didn’t know much about them or their formation before joining the Alpine School and researching for this project, even though most of us have been hiking in the mountains, more or less actively, in the past.
On the technical side, we were surprised by how tricky it was to work with orthophotos on strong slopes; the images became very stretched, and we had to make a lot of adjustments to get them to look right.
Maps.com: It’s been nearly a year since you built the original map. Would you change anything if you could revisit it today?
Georgiadi, Kaczorowski, Nifontova, and Swid: We could improve the accuracy of pinpointing avalanche-forming areas by incorporating factors such as ground cover, seasonal cycles, or known avalanche paths. If we then learn about particularly hazardous areas, inset maps would also be helpful for hikers and climbers, as the area covered by the map is large, and there is always the issue of scale.
Maps.com: What draws you to cartography and mapmaking?
Georgiadi: Personally, creating maps is a way of transmitting knowledge and information to a wider audience. It is a form of communication that can impact people and societies, can lead or mislead, and [can] convey important messages.
Kaczorowski: I always found maps to be an incredible form to express yourself in a practical way and to create pieces of art that could help others understand the world better. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and if I use them daily for different purposes, why not create them too!
Swid: As a kid, I remember losing myself in the school atlas, trying to capture all the details of what I saw—the world [from] a bird’s eye view. It continued into adulthood, focusing more on where things are on a map and appreciating world maps in video games. I eventually found myself working on maps professionally and decided to pursue it academically.
Nifontova: I had geography as my major in high school; and once, a woman who had graduated from the same school and worked at Esri made a workshop about maps with us. It was so cool that I decided this was what I wanted to do in my life!
Maps.com: What’s your favorite map?
Nifontova: I don’t have [just one] favorite map because I have so many! I especially like maps that explore unexpected topics, such as very specific historical events or social/economic issues that don’t usually get much attention. During the 30DayMapChallenge, you can find some real gems. Also, since my work revolves around urban and transport planning, I appreciate maps made by planners and architects. They often break the traditional cartographic rules, but in doing so, they create some impressive and effective visualizations.
Georgiadi: I prefer looking at topographic printed maps that help the user navigate into a specific environment, or city maps with the most prominent streets, buildings, landmarks and toponyms that can be identified. If the map has aesthetic cartographic design or follows specific design guidelines, it’s always attractive to observe. Overall, my favorite type of map is the one that is readable and understandable to regular people and adopts aesthetic styling and design principles. As a big wine lover, though, one map that I really do appreciate and admire is Dilara’s Bozkurt map [called] Native Wine Grapes of the Mediterranean Region.
Kaczorowski: I am a huge fan of schematic transit maps, like the famous London Underground map. What fascinates me about them is their design, based on simplicity and clarity, and their practical impact. I especially like that these maps make very complex systems understandable at a glance; they’ve helped me in so many cities I’ve traveled to. As an urban planner by education, I also find it fascinating to see how they influence how people understand and navigate cities and even how their cognitive maps are formed. I also really appreciate how different cities put their own twist on the design: it’s fascinating how something as simple as a map can reflect the character of a place.
Swid: I come from the hydrographic field, and the maps that captured my attention in the field of cartography were nautical charts. They are technical in nature, meant for professional practical purposes of navigation, planning, and other maritime usage; and yet delightfully crafted, making all the details visible and easily readable, pleasant for the eye. One of the nicest ones would be paper chart number 2858: Gulf of Oman to Shatt al ’Arab by UKHO [United Kingdom Hydrographic Office]. It [depicts] an area [that has been] brimming with maritime infrastructure and trade ever since ancient times, and the number of details is astonishing.
Maps.com: What kind of mapping projects would you like to explore next?
Georgiadi: The next mapping project I am excited to explore is my master’s thesis. I would like to focus on communicating flood-related data through maps—that will help experts and nonexperts understand the importance and transferring of knowledge of flood events.
Kaczorowski: Currently, I’m looking forward to working on wayfinding maps, which is also the topic of my master’s thesis. I hope that one day I’ll be able to implement them in a real urban landscape! Last year, I also had a lot of joy redesigning a historical map of my beloved Warsaw, and I’d be more than happy to explore more projects like that in the future.
Swid: Like all of us, I am also working on my master’s thesis, focusing on the semantic interpretation of Electronic Navigational Charts to produce a risk surface, to support future automated navigation tools for mariners—hopefully like a GPS for ships.
Last year, as a part of my second semester, I created my first paper nautical chart, but [of] the Moon. That was an interesting project for me as well.
Nifontova: Same answer. I’m also working on my master’s thesis, where I test different spatial aggregation strategies for bike-sharing data analysis, modeling, and visualization. As a personal project, I want to make a map about socialist housing in the ex-GDR [German Democratic Republic] part of Germany, called Plattenbau. These buildings are not beautiful at all, but I’m fascinated by the idea behind them and want to bring some attention to it.
Featured Contributors
Kseniia Nifontova
Kseniia Nifontova is a geospatial analyst and cartography student who splits her time between Germany and Austria. Prior to beginning her studies, she worked as an analyst on urban mobility projects for over six years. When not solving new spatial problems, she enjoys hiking, exploring art in galleries, and seeking out weird architecture in cities.
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