Choropleth maps were the subject of this week’s lesson.  Our assignment required that we create two maps reflecting population changes in the United States between the years 1990 to 2000.  One map was focused on percent change by state and utilized a full color approach while the other map was broken down by census divisions using only greyscale.  The lesson objectives were to help students get comfortable with creating choropleth maps and understanding the elements and considerations needed to create a successful map. We also needed to fine tune our maps with the help of Adobe Illustrator.

Quite a bit of thought is required to create an effective choropleth map.  Some of those concerns range from picking and implementing a sensible classification scheme to finding a logical color system to best reflect the underlying message of the map.  Evaluating how each classification method displays the data and determining whether it produces a coherent map is something that demanded a lot of trial and error.  The same can be said of picking a color scheme.  Some color patterns offered better contrasts and were more aesthetically pleasing than others. 

I methodically went through symbolizing the data using each classification scheme until I found one that represented the data most appropriately.  For me, that scheme was the Natural Breaks method.  I then tried a variety of color schemes until I found one that offered the best combination of contrast, clear delineation of data classes and was appealing.

The audience will be able to see how quite a number of states in the west/southwest of the country experienced significant population growth during 1990 -2000.  However, what I think is most useful to viewers is the opportunity to evaluate my design decisions for each map and try to understand why I made certain project choices.  Working through this process was beneficial to me as a student and can also be informative to a diverse audience interested in producing quality choropleth maps.