Evaluation of design operators for multi-published map delivery

The landscape of map design has changed rapidly over the last few years. This has occurred mainly due to the release of major multi-scale map products, such as Google Maps, Here, Bing and Mapbox. These products, providing the possibility to generate seamless multi-scale maps have ushered in a new way of exploring the Earth and man's impact on it - through the provision of timely and accessible map products. When provisioned with such products, users can pan and zoom their way around our planet, search for places and features with Elastic search technology to quickly and easily discover new information about geography. Considering how this new wave of spatial technology has enhanced the provisions available in our digital resources 'toolbox', we seek to determine whether the need for a hard copy map or atlas has died. Will one ever need to open a paper atlas again, to pass an enquiring finger across an unpronounceable mountain range, or thumb through an index searching for mysterious and wonderful places?