This week I created my own campus map based on locations I frequent during the week. Here is my map, my Google Sheet, and my Web App.
I began the process by creating a Google Sheet with five locations. Each location included the frequency, address, function, and coordinates. Afterward, I downloaded the sheet as a CSV file and uploaded it to ArcGIS. Regarding the visuals, I made many decisions to enhance user understanding of the map. The first change was switching the base map to the World Street Map because of its clear street names and appearance. I made each location on the map have a different government-style symbol depending on function. I also edited the size of the symbols to increase or decrease based on the number of days I visited the location. Labels were also added to make the names of the locations easier to read. The final edit was drawing polygons on top of the buildings to stand out from the ones I do not visit.
Web mapping is an excellent tool for visualizing DH work. By creating maps like the one we did in our lab assignment, users can visualize trends and patterns within data. It is also a great tool for storytelling by highlighting trends such as sites for activism or changes in housing. ArcGIS is very user-friendly and allows for those with limited knowledge of GIS to create detailed interactive maps. I look forward to exploring this DH tool more in the future.
1 thought on “Lab Assignment Week 6”
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I really like your use of the symbols to align with the function of the location which definitely gives the map a cleaner look compared to using words. I also really like how you chose a base layer and colors that make it really easy to see where your five buildings are. I agree that web mapping can be really at storytelling, and I believe ArcGIS has the tools for that, although without any tutorials, it’s not the easiest software to learn for a beginner. Well done!