Cartography Final

The final lab for the course was to create a map for the Washington Post that shows mean SAT scores and participation rates by state.  To create this map, there were some key things to keep in mind.  This lab required me to recall and use methods and techniques from the course.  Defining a projection and determining data classifications was another component.  This lab also required me to display two datasets onto one map.

To display the SAT mean scores and participation rates, I chose natural breaks classification.  It seemed to illustrate the data the best.  It made it easy to see which states had the lowest and highest scores.  It also made it easy to determine which states had high participation rates.  Making a map that allows the viewer to fully understand the data, is the main focus.  I felt the color scheme I chose made it easy to tell between averages.  It was also easy to see the light grey circles on the colors.

There was a lot of information that went into making of this map.  It required a good balance of where elements were placed as well as contrast.  I did not want the subtext to go unnoticed, so I added a white background.  I also wanted the legend to stand out to help the viewer, so adding white made it pop. This lab really required me to think of what goes into the best map design and I hope to use that train of thought on future maps.