GIS Portfolio: Ross Wygmans

Choropleth maps show concentrations of many different types of phenomena using graduated colors or patterned symbology and are among the most prominent types of thematic maps. Graduated symbols use variable symbol sizes to represent different value classes of a particular dataset. In this lab, our task was to create a choropleth map comparing population density of European countries and then use either proportional or graduated symbols to represent the annual wine consumption per capita of these countries.   This map was created using ArcGIS Pro. I chose to display both the population density and wine consumption data using the Natural Breaks classification method because the data distributions for both these datasets are skewed heavily to the right. The Natural Breaks method minimizes within-class variance and maximizes between class differences. I also chose graduated symbols over proportional symbols because I think this map is easier to read when the data is classed. Symbols on the

There are six common data classification methods used when creating thematic maps. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages, and whichever method the map creator chooses can lead to significant differences in the map output. If an inappropriate classification method is selected, maps will be inaccurate at best and could potentially be outright misleading.  In this lab, we used 2010 census data from Miami-Dade County to compare and contrast four of the six most common data classification methods: Equal Interval, Quantile, Standard Deviation, and Natural Breaks. The first map shows the percentage of senior citizens by census tract using these four methods, and the second map shows the normalized count of senior citizens per census tract. 

  Gestalt's Principles present a theory of how humans perceive and organize components of complex graphical images. In this lab, we were asked to effectively leverage Gestalt's Principles while designing a map of public schools in Ward 7 of Washington, D.C. Concepts which emerge from Gestalt's Principles, such as visual hierarchy, contrast, figure-ground, and balance, were also used as a framework for our map design.  Visual Hierarchy  This map was created using ArcGIS Pro. One example of visual hierarchy in my map is the use of vibrant colors to emphasize thematic symbols (i.e., schools) and the use of dull, pale colors for my base information. I also used increased font sizes to emphasize important map elements, such as the title and subtitle.  Contrast I used contrast in size and color to easily differentiate symbols for elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. I also used a drop shadow effect around the Washington, D.C. boundary in both the primary map and