GIS 4006 - Module 6 - Data Classification

For this weeks Module 6, we were tasked with displaying data for Dade County, Florida in four different classification methods for symbology: Natural breaks, equal interval, quanitle, and standard deviation. Two maps were created that display the percentage of individuals above 65 for the Dade County area and the number of individuals above 65 normalized by the sq. miles field. I chose a color gradient that reflects increasing values through a "hot spot visualization" with lighter colors reflecting lower values and darker red colors reflecting higher values. Each of the four classification methods separates classes based on a unique calculation method but I feel quantile resulted in the best map for visualizing hot spot areas for senior residency. I would also present this information as a percentage as this allows for easier user comprehension and visualization.

GIS 4006 - Module 4 - Cartographic Design

For this weeks Module 4 we were asked to create a map of Ward 7, Washington DC that highlights the location of public schools. The goal of this weeks module was to create a visually pleasing map theme that allowed for the display of all map elements to be clear and legible. Utilizing Arcgis Pro I was able to just that. My map incorporates all aspects of Gestalt's principles and all essential map elements are present and positioned appropriately. Some features that I chose that made my map more visually appealing include but are not limited to: ordering the drawing order so that no focal elements are obscured, muted color choice that avoids sharp contrast, road features colored with varying degrees of gray % to appear visually distinct from the county background, and use of a white, 2pt halo around neighborhood labels to make them appear visually distinct from background elements. Overall this weeks module was a refresher for me but I did take away valuable knowledge in learning and understanding Gestalt's Principles of Perception. I feel like this knowledge will be valuable, not only in GIS, but in all design oriented projects.

GIS 4006 - Module 3 - Typography

For this weeks Module 3 lab we were tasked with creating a map using adobe illustrator arcgis pro that highlights 17 features in an area of the Florida Keys known as Marathon. After researching Marathon on the wiki page, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon,_Florida), I learned that Marathon’s name originates from the Florida East Coast Railroad and that the Florida Keys historian Dan Gallager in his book "Florida's Great Ocean Railway" credits New York playwright Wiiter Bynner for naming Marathon.

The theme for this map is as follows; Font: Berlin Sans FB Demi Bold, Size: 18, Color:Town-Yellow, Airport-Red, Statepark-Green, Countryclub-Blue,  Stroke: White.  All features for this module were labeled using this technique with varying font size/color and leader lines. Leader lines, for this map, were drawn with the pen tool in adobe illustrator and the type on a path tool was used to type Font: Berlin Sans FB Demi Bold, Size: 12, Color: Aerial-Black and Hydrographic-Italicized Blue, into the corresponding features GPS coordinate locations.

Features that make my map unique would be a drop shadow applied to the marathon islands feature layers, a color coded font that aids in the location of Town, Airport, Statepark, and Country Club features accompanied by a color coded legend, and, finally, an aesthetic use of symbols, colors, and border frames to highlight a beautiful area such as Marathon, Florida.