Brooke's GIS Blog

The goals of this typography lab were to define and insert essential map elements, label a map in accordance with general typographic guidelines and employ proper type placement for different feature types. To do this, I created labels and symbology for the included layers of Florida cities, rivers and swamps. In order to get my type to look exactly how I wanted, I created annotations to move the type and created vertexes to get a smooth look for the rivers. All in all, I'm happy with how the final product turned out, but I definitely struggled with a smooth curve for the rivers - so I will need more practice in that regard.  

 The task for this lab was to "review common map design principles, identify examples of good and poor map design, compare and contrast key elements of good and poor map design, summarize and present lab activities and objectives." The two maps I chose to analyze are below, with the well designed map at the top and the poorly designed map at the bottom: The first map definitely achieves Map Substantial Information , Don't Lie with Maps , Effectively Label Maps, Minimize Map Crap, and Map Layout Matters. The information mapped displays the epochs of the Cenozoic area, and appeals to an international audience likely of anthropologists or archeologists focused on research. The labels are easy to understand and ranked from most recent epoch to oldest epoch. Additionally, a scale is provided in both miles and kilometers which is useful if presented at an international conference. There is no map crap, and I think the layout is nicely distributed with the bulk of the words cove...

I joined the Master's of GIS Administration at University of West Florida because of my desire to pursue a career path heavily centered around GIS. I took an Intro to GIS course during undergrad, and I use it heavily in my professional life. The University of West Florida's program is the perfect fit because I can still work full time, and go to school full time. When I complete this program, I am going to either pursue a career as a GIS Manager at a public, research-based entity or continue my way through academia. Whatever my decision, I know I'll have a solid and unique skillset to bring to any position.  My Story Map Link