Flow line mapping was this week’s focus.  Using Adobe Illustrator, we were asked to create a flow line map reflecting immigration to the United States in 2007.  Another component of the map was a choropleth representation of the US using a five-class symbolization of the percentage of immigrants to each state.  The objectives of this lab was assessing design issues, using proper design techniques, and applying effective style and/or visual effects to create a compelling flow line map.

I utilized a drop shadow for both legends as well as for the title and subtitle.  I felt this made the elements more prominent.  I rotated the titles for some of the continents to better flow with how they situated on the map.  The flow lines were placed with graduated shades of black/gray corresponding to the level of immigration from each continent.  On the regional immigration legend I used a dashed line to connect the totals to the name of the continent for easier viewing.

This was a valuable learning experience and another chance to refine my skills in Adobe Illustrator.  Hopefully, the audience is able to quickly grasp the answers to these questions: 

(1)    Where did they come from?

(2)    Which continents provided the most/least immigrants?

(3)    Where did they end up?

If they can, then I've done my job.