You've reached the end of Lesson 6!
In this lesson, we learned a lot about thematic maps - what they are, why we design them, and how to choose the best thematic mapping technique based on characteristics of your data and of the geographic phenomena you wish to map. We discussed challenges you might encounter when making thematic maps, such as when the level of measurement of the data available to you doesn't match the level of measurement of the phenomena.
In Lab 6, we created proportional and range-graded (graduated) symbol maps - exploring the differences between map types and their appropriateness. Though our focus this lesson was on using these two symbolization methods, you'll notice that concepts we learned earlier - such as visual variables, map labels, and layout design - have remained of high importance. The tasks in this course are intended to build upon each other. I look forward to watching you thoughtfully integrate concepts from throughout the course into your maps each week. In addition, in this lab, you explored a new mapping application, Tableau. It is important to explore other mapping applications outside of ArcGIS Pro as each application offers something unique. Using Tableau, you witnessed the ability to quickly create and implement a common design across different maps. Exploring Tableau functionality continues into Lab 7 where you will work on multivariate symbolization and experience the powerful linking and brushing interactivity that this application brings to the map making process.
Reminder - Complete all of the Lesson 6 tasks!
You have reached the end of Lesson 6! Double-check the to-do list on the Lesson 6 Overview page to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before you begin Lesson 7.