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.