Module 2 Lab: Introduction to Graphic Design in AI

This week I assembled a basic map of Florida in Arc Map (layers included: state counties, state capital, major cities, surface water).  In Arc Map I added a legend, scale bar and north arrow.  Then I converted the basic map to an Adobe Illustrator file.  When I opened the AI file my north arrow was no longer on the document.  TA Austin and a fellow classmate found a web site to explain how to specify the export to AI that would allow the north arrow to come through in AI.  I had already made progress with my map so instead of starting over I just inserted a north arrow.  The lab assignment was to add 3 state elements and document where each was found.  I chose to include the state seal, state flower and the state nickname.  The imagery for the flower and seal I obtained from Wikipedia and the state nickname I designed the imagery.  The lab also ask to run a provided script to change the major city and state capital symbology to that in AI.  The script provided an error message.  I don't know if this had anything to do with the use of the AI file prior to the specification adjustments or if there is an error in the script.  I chose to continue to obtain the results as close to assigned as I could manage.  I chose AI symbology to manually adjust the capital and three cities that I labeled with their names.  I found experimenting with AI to be challenging.  Careful planning to ensure that the map and the scale size were not adjusted separately (until they were grouped together to ensure any resizing would be to both).  I also found the groupings as well as releasing clipping masks (located under the objects tab) to be confusing.  I also found not being able to copy and paste from right clicking and having to go to the main tool bar to the edit tab non-intuitive and cumbersome.  Overall I please with the final product for my first attempt and hopeful the process will become less awkward.

Revision:  Additional Exporting to Illustrator instruction were found at http://pbcgis.com/illustrator/  provided to me by Katherine Sims (classmate) and Austin (TA).  When Exporting to AI clip the option button on the lower left corner of the export dialog to reveal the expo options.  Under general options reduce DPI to 150-200.  Under Format Options tab set the Picture Symbol pull down to Vectorize bitmap and check the box to convert marker symbols to polygons.  This allowed the north arrow to come through in AI as well as the script provided in the lab to change major city symbols to work.  I opened both my first map and my newly exported map and copied and pasted many elements as groups to the new map.  Although it took some time to get the second map together it was not nearly as time consuming as the first one.  I changed some of the format.  I am really not sure which I like better.  But here is the second map.  Very similar but not the same.

Map Critique Week One

This week  Learning Objectives: 1)Upon completion of this exercise students should be able to Understand common map design principles. 2)Identify examples of good and poor map design.  3) Conduct thorough map evaluations, providing an evaluation overview and constructive critique for each example. 

I chose this as an example of a good map:

Here is a little bit about why I choose this as an example of a good map:  This map has lots of map elements: Title, North arrow, Scale bar, Legend, and the author information.  The information is clearly and efficiently communicated.  The title provides the location of the information as well as the information to be communicated (South Carolina, ,game zones).  The color choice is pleasing to the eye, different enough the changes are easily recognizable without being overwhelming.  There is a balance to the map overall.  The information is not crowded together and there are not large empty spaces.  

 And this is an example of a poor map:

Here is a little bit about why I choose this as an example of a poor map:  This map contains no map elements, there is no title, legend, author, north arrow or scale bar.  The streets are sold bold black lines that feel aggressive in nature.    There is no additional information to assist in determining where this is located or why this map was made.  I can not determine the purpose of this map or what information it is trying to convey.

Interestingly, on the spectrum of good to poor maps I could find many more examples of poor maps than I could of good maps.  I speculate that has to do with the source of the maps(internet and provided lab documents).  I hope that there are more individuals out making good maps; informative, clear, concise and aesthetic than this population indicates.  Otherwise my classmates and colleges will have a BIG job making enough good maps to outweigh the bad ones.

Orientation: Story Map

I am Kelley Chastain.  This is my second semester in the MS GIS program at UWF.  I am a divorced mom of two boys, a senior and junior in high school.  I work full time doing financial counseling, insurance explanations and money management for an adult mental hospital.  I started doing this about 4 years ago (wanted to utilize my BA, Psychology).  Before this I worked for 10 years in a local municipality issuing building permits.  I interacted with "the GIS guy" often in that position.  He was often so overwhelmed that I would have to find a work around to achieve the maps that my department would need (often coping, cutting with scissors and taping copies of plat maps together).  I found an interest in maps that I haven't been able to shake, so here I am pursuing that interest into hopefully a new career.  Check out the Story Map that I made on ESRI.

Kelley's Alabama Story