Module 3—Cartographic Design in ArcGIS Pro

Module 3 was completed entirely in ArcGIS Pro, although I will likely import it to Adobe Illustrator just for practice. The lab was very straightforward and was a welcome refresher.

For this lab, I produced a map showing public schools in Ward 7 of Washington, D.C. I placed an inset map of Washington, D.C. with an extent indicator for Ward 7. The main map showed Washington, D.C. with Ward 7 in a lighter color. On this map, schools are displayed (in three hues and three sizes) by a school icon, roads are displayed as a line feature of varying weights and colors, and the Anacostia River is displayed by blue (lettering in italics to represent flow). Features not necessary for understanding were selectively excluded.

Ward 7 Public Schools: Cartographic Design using Gestalt Principles

One of the teaching points of this lab was to use Gestalt Principles in the map design:

--Visual Hierarchy— I arranged my map so that more important features stood out. Since schools were the focus of this map, I made the schools larger and brighter to draw attention. All other elements were relegated to a lower rank, to include roads. Interstates, State Highways, and major roads had lighter weights, respectively. Additionally, the roads were placed under the schools in the drawing order so that the schools were superimposed onto the roads if there were overlap. The remainder of the essential map elements were ranked in order of importance with the font and size of the item adjusted accordingly (example: Title was larger than subtitle; data sources was much smaller than subtitle). For areal features, I used lighter colors to draw attention. Therefore, Ward 7 was the lightest of the background colors.

--Contrast—I adjusted the weight of lines and color saturation just like in visual hierarchy. My schools were much brighter and I adjusted the school background to yellow in order to contrast with the background of the map. I made sure my background colors did not clash, but I ensured that areal features were lighter for Ward 7. For background information of lower importance (such as Ward 7 roads), the lines are barely visible so they do not compete with more important features.

--Figure-Ground—Just as in visual hierarchy and contrast, I adjusted colors and line weight to ensure important features stood out and looked closer to the viewer. The schools are different shades of red superimposed in a yellow circle to stand out from the grey background of Ward 7. Ward 7 is a lighter color to stand out from a darker shade of grey for the remainder of Washington, D.C.

--Balance—I utilized a sketch map as a tool to establish balance. Of course, Ward 7 was my main focus, so I centered the map inside a portrait orientation. I then used the open space to fill essential elements. I incorporated the inset map of the district in the upper left corner, which was balanced by the legend, cartographer information, north arrow, and data sources in the lower right corner. I placed the scale bar in the bottom center to balance the title and subtitle and I placed a list of schools (with numbers) in the upper right corner to balance the inset map and the legend group. I chose to place the inset map in the upper left corner because we read from left to right and this was more important than the name of the schools.

As previously stated, this exercise was very straightforward and completed in ArcGIS Pro. I input the data, which was obtained by UWF from District of Columbia Open Data. Once I produced the inset map of the district and the main map of Ward 7, I completed the map design process like previous maps. I ensured the scale was at an even ratio and placed a scale bar in miles with relatable and appropriate numbering. I chose background colors that were neutral, pleasing to the eye, and would add contrast to the schools and roads. In order to reduce the amount of information on the map, I selectively excluded features that were unnecessary for understanding—parks, minor roads, neighborhood clusters, etc.

Lab 2—Typography

Objectives:

--Produce a map in ArcGIS Pro, share to ArcGIS Online, input into Adobe Illustrator.

--Design a map and ensure all essential elements are in place.

--Label the map in accordance with typography guidelines.

--Utilize tools to symbolize and label features properly.

--Export the map to a picture file (.jpg).

For the Typography lab, I created a simple map of Marathon Key, Florida with an inset map of Florida. Once the maps were created and the coordinate system was set to Albers Conical Equal Area, I shared the map so that it would be visible in ArcGIS Online.

From there, I refined the map through Adobe Illustrator, which is a powerful tool to refine a map product. Though it is not very intuitive and can be rather daunting, it offers many more design features than ArcGIS Pro.

My main map is of Marathon Key, Florida at 1:100,000 scale. The inset map is the southern counties of Florida at 1:4,600,000 scale, as required in the instructions.

The inset map only displays the southern counties of Florida (in green to match the main map) with a red box showing the location of Marathon Key. In order to build a scale bar, I used simple division to convert the units of measure to a usable, even number. I then drew five alternating black and white boxes that were as wide as my number and assigned a representative distance. Ensure there is no stroke for the rectangles or the size will be larger than the scale represents. I added a border around the grouped rectangles by drawing a line the same size, increased its stroke, placed it behind the grouped bars, and then grouped the background and the bars.

For the main map, the colors of the land features match the colors of the inset map, but I adjusted the transparency to allow some terrain to show. To find the required features, I used Google Earth and plotted themed point feature symbols onto my map. Along with the themed symbols, I adjusted the size and color of the labels to correspond with the importance/significance of the feature (blue, italics for water; black for cities, brown for cultural, green for islands). For water, I either curved or waved the italics labels to represent water flow and adjusted the size of the label based on the relative size of the water feature.

Marathon Key, Florida. 
Typography Lab, Module 2 in Albers Projection. Main map is at 1:100,000 and Inset is scaled at 1:4,600,000.

Because the map had many features close together, I used leader lines. I used the pen tool to draw the leader lines and ensured that they were the same stroke, generally the same angle, and did not touch the feature or label.

I then added the essential map elements:

--Border/Neatline—I added a rectangle and placed it at the bottom of the layout tab. I adjusted the stroke and color as needed.

--North Arrow—There is a symbol for this in the Symbols option, but I made sure it was not too large or obtrusive.

--Map Information—I used the Text tool (T) and added my name, date, and data sources in black with small font. I decided to add the GCS, too.

--Title and Subtitle—Used the text tool; used the largest font on the map and had it in bold/black to catch attention.

--Orientation—Landscape because of the size and shape of Marathon Key. If I had it in portrait, the map would have been very crowded and would not display required features.

--Legend—I used the rectangle tool and curved the corners. I then copy/pasted all the symbols that I used on the map and added labels. To improve the appearance, I used the alignment tools.

--Scale Bar—Was the most difficult portion for me because I overthought it. There are many videos that show how to make the scale bar with different systems, to include Adobe Photoshop. Though there is a method to create the scale bar, I was not able to manipulate the size or units while maintaining an accurate scale. I made Marathon Key’s scale bar as described above; however, I made sure there were smaller increments below zero.

Once I finished and refined the map, I exported it (check the "Use Artboard" option) to a jpeg file and then adjusted the resolution (high). Be sure to check the appearance of the photo so that nothing is distorted or misplaced.

In summary, I created the base map in ArcGIS Pro and then shared it to ArcGIS Online. I then imported the map to Adobe Illustrator and refined the map to be more presentable using the numerous tools and options in AI. I transformed the map (using the map board and compilation tab) into an Artboard, from which I modified Marathon Key to a finished product. In order to enhance my map, I used a drop shadow behind the islands, which provided depth. I also used themed point symbols as described above, and altered the color, size, and appearance of the labeling. I did not want to include too many customization, as this could turn into “map crap” and take away from the purpose. In the future, I will try inner shadows like one sees in atlases and large maps.

Though there was a steep learning curve to AI, I learned a lot. My recommendation is to follow any instructions closely, make sure the layer tab is organized, and to take your time. Walk away from the project for a bit if you get too frustrated. Also, leverage You Tube videos. There are plenty that show great tips and time-saving techniques.