For this exercise we were instructed to create a proportional symbol map of any legitimate piece of statistical data. I chose to map unemployment in the US, as a percent of the total population. I obtained the statistical data from the US Department of Labor Statistics website. With the data, I created an excel spreadsheet that was used as the input data for the proportional symbol map. The base map was produced in ArcMap, then exported to Adobe Illustrator where the map was made. The map includes the necessary map design elements and was produced with respect to the essentials of map design.
I used the healing hand for the proportional symbol because it stands out well and is easy to interpret. The background is white and the states are a light green so they are a nice backdrop to create the proper figure-ground appearance and visual hierarchy. I used a clear font for the data information in order to maintain legibility and clarity, but used a more stylish font for the titles to make the map more visually appealing. It was somewhat difficult to fit all of the symbols, but I felt that if they were smaller in size they might be difficult to interpret. I made use of lines for some of the symbols on the east coast to avoid over crowding. I tried to fill the spaces around the map with the necessary map design elements to create a nice balance.
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