The Map Design Commission is excited to announce the release of a new, free GPT tool that creates web maps via prompt. No need to know how to code or handle datasets. In many cases, you don’t even need to have the dataset you want to map yet – it will attempt to find or build it for you.

Web Mapper GPT designs interactive web maps for you to your specifications, free, via natural language.

Try it now: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68af432e3ee481919b9605d8593bb913-web-mapper

Check out many beta examples and find tutorials (in the future?): www.webmapgpt.com

Note: you will need to create a free ChatGPT account to use it.

Purpose of Web Mapper GPT

The Map Design Commission is releasing these in the spirit of our mission: to help all people design and produce better maps.

Many mapmakers, or clients requiring maps, do not have training or education in cartography. They are at the mercy of hiring “experts” in map design and web development. Or they will attempt to create maps on their own, often with subpar results.

This tool is meant to help people create their vision via prompting. The LLM is trained in cartographic design, so it will typically make wise decisions and explain them.

Examples of Web Mapper GPT

You may click on each map image below to load the map and play with the resutls.

Hurricane Ian & Impacted EV Charging Stations

Map Prompt

Create a map showing EV charging stations impacted by Hurricane Ian 
circa 2022. Make it dystopian with a black background and dark colors. 
The hurricane track should have a 30 mile buffer around it. EV charging 
stations should be represented by flickering or pulsing in and out 
yellow symbols. Be creative, please! (Also, please add filters so users 
can hide and show EV stations by network type. Perhaps symbolize the 
stations somehow by the number of chargers or fast chargers they have 
as well. Thanks!

Soviet propaganda map of noise violations in Pliezhausen, Germany

Map Prompt

Please create a propagandist style map, using 1950s Soviet propaganda
aesthetic and coloring highlighting comrades in society who are 
disappointing the commune of Pliezhausen by making noise on Sundays. 
The bombastic and propaganda style map should be targeted at residents
of Pliezhausen. The map will be displayed on public kiosks to shame 
people who have violated the noise code. The map filters and features 
should be minimalist but thorough. People can search by name, gender, 
age, offense type, and date. The legend should show violations by type 
(e.g., mowing lawn, etc.). Use fonts that were prevalent in the 1950s 
or other Soviet era, Communist fonts. The title should be bombastic 
and Marxist. Thank you. Do not use generic looking buttons, etc. Make 
it look Soviet please. :-)

Bilingual Map of all fresh water sources in panama

Map Prompt

Please create a map of these well and spring features in Panama. I'd 
like the map to be be bright and cheery, Latin American themes color
wise. Please use a san-serif font. I would like the ability to filter 
the data by Province and District. Also by well versus spring. Finally, 
via its primary use (farming, livestock, commercial, etc.). 
Symbolization wise, please give each use type a different categorical
 color. Please use different point symbols for a well versus a spring.
For pop-up / info windows, please include the following: a color-
coordinated primary use label (that matches the map symbol color); the 
elevation (in meters) of the feature; the depth of the well (if 
available), in meters); the province name and the district name. 
Do you have any questions before we get started?

Many more examples…

Ian Muehlenhaus, who wrote and tested the prompt for this GPT agent, has posted more test and trial examples here: https://imule.github.io

You can also find the Map Design Commission’s Map Doctor GPT (which provides salient advice on map design when you upload map images) at here: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-14WuzVoyJ-map-doctor

Moving Forward

Please stay tuned for daily updates to this website beginning in the new year.

Also, Ian Muehlenhaus will have a new textbook coming out from CRC Press next year on natural language-based cartography – or how to make maps using only prompts.

Also, we have a surprise in store for the commission: instead of a 30-day map challenge, we may be attempting something more dramatic. 😉

Please stay tuned!