Thematic Map making using Declarative Grammars

This thesis explores the use of the high-level declarative visualisation language Vega-Lite to develop a thematic map-making tool guided by a specialised grammar. The grammar, formulated around user questions, ensures smooth integration between user input, Vega- Lite, and the resulting thematic maps. Using this grammar and Vega-Lite, a tool was created to generate thematic maps. A qualitative comparative usability test assessed the tool’s suitability for thematic map making. Although there is room for improvement, the tool shows significant potential to become a user-friendly platform, enabling users to ask questions about their data sets and receive an answer in the form of a data visualisation.