Campus Map Lab (Claire Saunders)

(My spreadsheet, and the web app for my map.)

I really liked the process of mapping in ArcGIS! It was interesting to visualize the different places I frequent on campus. For my locations, I chose the CMC and Boliou because I have classes there, Myers because I live there, LDC because I typically get breakfast there, and Sayles and Clader House because that is where two clubs I am active in typically meet (Babyteeth and Carleton’s A Drag). To show the information about the locations, I chose to focus on the type of location by choosing symbols I thought correlated to each function. Unfortunately, I had to make the labels diagonal from the symbols, instead of more clearly next to, because otherwise the labels for the CMC and Boliou would cut each other off.

I think ArcGIS and web mapping are really useful tools for DH projects that have lots of interesting possibilities for applications. More generally, web mapping is a helpful tool for DH work because it allows data about locations and spaces to be easily shown. The interactive element of a digital map is particular helpful, since it allows the user to zoom in or out of specific locations without losing all of the information. ArcGIS is a particularly useful web mapping tool, since it is pretty intuitive to use. Being able to make a digital map without too much experience is really useful; for one, it allows a lot more people to make maps that are personalized to their experience, like this lab assignment.