Cartography and Map Layouts: Lessons Learned the Hard Way

I went into this week’s map project feeling like I had ArcGIS pretty well under control. Spoiler: I don’t. Working through this assignment taught me that I still have a lot to learn when it comes to cartography and map layouts.

First off, I ran headfirst into some technology frustrations. Citrix on the laptop made everything feel clunky, and working with Google Docs wasn’t much better. I honestly couldn’t tell if the issue was the programs themselves or if I’m just a little too set in my ways. Either way, it slowed me down and left me a little more irritated than inspired.

The actual map building was a mixed bag. I did get the basics in—title, logo, north arrow, and scale bar—but there were plenty of things that didn’t go as smoothly. For example, I never figured out how to get the city names to display correctly. That left my final product feeling incomplete, and I wasn’t entirely happy with how it turned out. It was one of those moments where you look at the map and know it could be better, but you’re out of time and patience.

On the brighter side, I did manage to make the legend work by editing the layer names, and I followed the lab’s recommended color palette (even though I was tempted to go artsy with antique tones). Those choices at least kept the map professional and readable.

The big takeaway from all this? Don’t procrastinate. I definitely waited too long to start and ended up scrambling. I also realized I need to use the resources available to me more effectively—whether that’s tutorials, help forums, or just asking questions sooner rather than later.

So while my Module 2 map wasn’t a masterpiece, it was a wake-up call. By Module 3, I plan to approach things earlier, lean on the resources, and hopefully come away with a product that I feel proud of.