CARTOGRAPHY  🗺

Cartographic Accessibility

As a cartography enthusiast, I am always looking for ways to make my maps more inclusive and accessible. I understand that this is an ongoing journey, and I strive to be more mindful of the way I convey information to ensure that my maps are understandable to everyone.


In my quest to create more accessible maps, I have begun exploring different color ramps for choropleth maps to ensure that they are suitable for individuals with color blindness. This has involved experimenting with grayscale maps, as seen in the example below. Additionally, when I do need to use color in my maps, I rely on Color Brewer as a resource to find suitable color schemes.


While there is still much to learn, I am committed to continuing to explore new ways to create accessible and informative maps for all users.

Experimenting with Video and Google Earth Studio!

Vesper.mp4

Check out my latest video experiment where I used a combination of Google Earth Studio and Adobe After Effects. Inspired by a Boone Loves Video tutorial on YouTube, I took a zoomed-in tour of one of my favorite hiking spots.


Google Earth Studio brought the landscape to life with its cool features, and then I kicked it up a notch with After Effects. There, I added labels and details to make it not just a video, but a storytelling experience.

Self Depreca-tour

I made this map for a friend who is the lead singer in a local mathcore band called Self Deprecator. My goal was to make a map that fits an overall metal/grunge aesthetic but that also had hidden meaning for the band. This was created using QGIS, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop.

I used the David Rumsey Map Collection to find an appropriate basemap. My idea was to use an old geology map since the lead singer's day job is working as a hydrogeologist. Once I found the right map, I used QGIS to georeference the jpeg and identify the location of each stop along the tour. After doing this, I brought the map into Adobe Illustrator, created the rusty nail icons and bitten apple north arrow (for additional grunginess), and assembled the remaining pieces. Finally, I brought the map into Photoshop to erase any items that I didn't want to include and to add texture that made the overall map look like a crumpled piece of paper.

Spread Your Wings and Die Tour

For this project, I created a custom tour location map using ArcGIS Pro, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop. The basemap was built following a John Nelson tutorial, where I extracted a DEM, applied raster calculations, and used blending effects to achieve a moody look. I designed custom symbology and layout in Illustrator, including the torn banner effect at the bottom, and added a wrinkled paper texture in Photoshop for extra depth. I also explored new type faces from Dafont.com to enhance the design.


This was my second tour map for the band, and it was a great way to combine cartography, design, and music—three things I love working with!