Week7_Proportional Symbols

Another interesting week with Illustrator vs ArcGIS. Used both programs extensively for this map. I Learned a lot about the capabilities of each as well as some essential formulas in excel for scaling symbols correctly. I used the world map shape file from week 2 to fill in the rest of the land mass and projected from space for the key map.

Week6_Choropleth

Both maps were easy enough to start. The devil was in the details.
I used ColorBrewer values for both maps and they look ok on my screen but I have not printed to critique. Aggregating the census data was interesting but tedious. I realized how much it can effect the look of a map and possibly the interpretation. I am starting to find and use more of the tools in Illustrator. Layers and groups are proving to be most useful.

Week5_MapComposition

This weeks lab was more time consuming than I had planned. Learning new software always does that to me, like some kind of time warp. I concentrated on the use of color and composition to tie the map elements together. Labeling each county would have added to the usefulness of this map but I used my time to learn more about the layer and group features in Illustrator.

Week4_Typography

I learned lots of new tricks with Illustrator through trial and error^3. Annotation will never seem the same old boring task. The basics were easy enough but I got caught up in small refinements. I am going to spend some more time with this program because now I am hooked.

Data Classification Deliverable 2

Natural Breaks classification was my method of choice. Although the Quantile method had its strong points I liked the natural breaks map for its grouping of like values in the data. By considering the distribution I think the results are better suited to show the pattern in the data. This may not have been the case if the data were not expressed as a percentage.

Data Classification Deliverable 1

This exercise to display and compare four methods of classifying the data was very interesting. The standard deviation method was the most challenging. I used a gray scale color ramp to compare the four maps without the distraction of color, and the winner is....

For my “Good Map” I have a map from SERTIS-CNES-INTERNATIONAL CHARTER to illustrate the clear communication of data in a humanitarian crisis. The response maps were compiled within hours of the Haiti earthquake on January 12th, 2010. I can imagine the value of these maps in the first days after the quake as invaluable in assessing and communicating the damage and need in a time sensitive situation. This and many other thematic maps of the earthquake zone were produced quickly by SERTIS-CNES without sacrificing sound cartographic design. The Tufteian principles and John Krygier’s commandments are represented well in this concise map. Although there are almost no labels, the explanatory text, legend, and key map make for easy interpretation.