GIS4043L Own Your Map - Week 2 Lab

This is week 2 of GIS4043L, getting even more exciting!  This week's laboratory assignment was to create a professional looking map that was easy to read and understand.  The following is what I worked on this week.

Process Summary Description

1)      Quick review of GIS4043L Own Your Map Lab instructions to understand laboratory requirements.

2)      Opened up GIS Software and retrieved this week’s laboratory folder, “OwnYourMap.zip” and saved to my s: drive.

3)      Using instructions provided in lab instructions, opened up Arc Catalog and began to explore metadata in order to understand how to complete metadata table in process summary template for this and future labs.

4)      Moved to ArcMap where I created my  map by following the step-by-step process provided in the week’s lab instructions – see summary and rationale below.

a)      Began with a basic layout of my map.  Layout view was selected over data view as it gives the cartographer an idea of the product in printable area while data view is best for analyzing and editing data. The page was then set up to landscape using the File, page and print setup commands.

b)      Proceeded to incorporate the 8 essential map elements (in order shown) from the Insert Menu; neatline, title, legend, north arrow (to show direction), scale (using miles for all American map production efforts), cartographer’s name (my name), date and data source. 

c)       Neatline:  I selected an inside margin with a gap of 10 and a border of 2.0 point.  Then added a background with a rectangular gradient hue and a drop shadow that is grey 60% in color.  The data frame was then fitted to my page size.  A 7.5 X 10 ratio was used for the 8.5 x 11 page and it was then aligned to margins and to center as well as to Vertical center.  These adjustments created for an appealing view of the map without taking away from the actual map.

d)      Title: A simple title, “Florida Cities” that was capitalized and formatted to Arial 16 and bold font.

e)      Legend: The legend titles were spelled out in full so that they are easy to understand.  Width of 30pt and a Height of 15pt with a horizontal line and rectangular area.  Yellow was selected for the background color to blend in with the map’s background and a 1.0pt black border frame was inserted – simple yet effective.  The Legend was positioned to the South west of the Map yet close enough to the map without overlaying it.  The title “Legend” was removed by unchecking the “show” box under the Legend tab in properties view.

f)       North Arrow:  ESRI North 95 design, size 58 and Black.  Just something different yet simple,  again to avoid distracting from the map.  Positioned in line with the title, top north east corner of the map for balance of the overall map.

g)      Scale:  Alternating Scale Bar 1, Arial 10, Black.

h)      Name and date: see map.  Positioned as the most bottom item on the page as it acts as a signature to the document.

i)        Data Source:  FGDL 2004, 2008.  Positioned right below the scale and just above the name and date.

5)      Made an effort to save my work periodically to avoid losing it in the case of an unexpected shutdown.

6)      I then exported the final map as a JPEG file to my s: drive, saving the file by title and an addition of my initials and archived the file to an external drive.

The entire process (including metadata table and draft of the process summary) took about 3 hours.

GIS 3015/L: Map Critique Overview

This was the first lab in the GIS3015/L course.  The title of this lab was “Map Critique Overview”.  The objective of this laboratory was to give students a practice run on map designing.  At the end of the lab, students were expected to be able to distinguish between a good map and a poor map design.

Review of a good map design and a poor map design

Map 1: Poor Map Design

Map 2:  Good Map Design

Though both maps are crowded and appear to have “too much information”, they are consistent with Disney World in General.  “There is always a lot going on at Walt Disney World” (Credits: Danny Cox).  While the two maps are representative of what Disney World is, a few things stand out with regards to the design of both maps:

·         The information presented in the graphics, should be interesting, multivariated and complex.  This is the case in Map #2, but not in Map #1.

·         Use symbols appropriately to “maximize the map’s information content and communication capabilities”.  (pg. 9 – Lab Lecture – Thematic Cartography Lab).  Is the Map effectively labeled so that the reader is capable of understanding what the map is and why it is important? Map #1 does not give the reader a clear indication of where anything is, there are no legends, no title, and no labels.  Map #2 is filled with legends, icons, labels that help the reader know exactly where everything is and how to get around. 

·         Ask the question, “why are you making the map,  who is the audience, and what do they want from the map?” (pg. 7 – Lab Lecture – Thematic Cartography Lab).  In Map #1, it is not clear what the map is trying to communicate – perhaps simply provide an overview of Disney World, since it is difficult to use it as a guide map.  Map #2 is clearly a guide map and is would be more effective in helping visitors to Disney World, find their way around. 

·         “Embed a bit of passion…..”in  your design. (pg. 10 – Lab Lecture – Thematic Cartography Lab). While both maps represent the same area, Map #2 is more appealing to the reader and while it is still as busy as Map #1, it is inviting and almost has a feel of “Come Check out ALL that Disney World has to offer!”.  Map #1 on the contrary, is dull and not as inviting. 

·         The more important items should stand out, while the less important should fall back.  Map #2 does a good job of highlighting what it feels are the more important things to the reader – the different parks/attractions at Disney World.  Nothing really stands out as being more important in Map #1.

·         Map #1 does not have a Title and without “Walt” in the picture, it would be difficult to know that the map was that of Disney.  Map #2 has a clear title of what the area is.

·         Map #2 is presented in a more “cartoon-like” image that is consistent with those that know Disneyland.  This type of design for the Map is therefore very effective unlike the design of Map #1.

Overall, Map#2 is a better map and an example of a good map, while Map #1 would represent a poor map.

Project Summary Description: 

1.      Began by reviewing the lecture and followed this with a review of laboratory task requirements.

2.      A look at a summary of the “20 Tufteisms from the Visual Display of Quantitative Information” was able to provide a checklist for use when reviewing map designs.

3.      Then moved on to review the 5 principles of Map Design.

4.      Both the Tufteisms and the Principles of Map Design were useful in evaluating both maps.

GIS4043L Overview of ArcGIS

This is the first lab for the Spring 2012 Semester for the class GIS4043L.  The objective of this laboratory was to work with and learn the tools used in ArcGIS and ultimately to create a map showing the population of various countries in the world. 

PROCESS SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

1)     I began by reviewing the Lab Requirements and then reviewed the Lecture to include Demo Videos.

2)     Given that this was the first time working with ArcGIS, the process was a little long, as it was a little unclear as to where certain commands were. 

3)     However after going back and re-reading the lecture notes as well as watching the videos again, I was able to find may way through the lab and successfully completed the lab!  Phew!

INTRODUCTION

Hi, my name is Anne.  I majored in Chemistry and graduated with a BSc. Chemistry in 2005 and was not quite sure what I wanted my graduate degree to be, so I chose to work.  I have worked in a variety of places, doctor’s clinics, UNHCR, commercial laboratories, Disney – EPCOT and Animal Kingdom doing their water chemistry, and currently working for a large environmental firm out of their Destin Florida office as Project Chemist.  I currently do a little bit of field work, as well as report writing which involves a significant amount of tables and figures and this is where my interest for GIS came about.  I am clueless as to all the “jargon” and honestly a little terrified of what is to come but I am determined to hang in there and see this through.  I believe that my confidence in the course will increase with time  :-)!

Anne