Jaques Bertin’s theory of graphics and its development and influence on multimedia cartography

Today, we can say that the graphic system of visual variables established and developed by Bertin represents an indispensable and universally recognized theory of the cartographic transcription of geographic information. Various cartographers have used and improved on Bertin’s System. In the age of automation, GIS and multimedia, initial results in adapting Bertin’s graphic system to the dynamic and also non-visual representation of information are now available. Today one can say that despite its fundamental character, Bertin’s theory has proven to be very adaptable and open towards innovation.