Tristan H's GIS Blog

  Infographic: This infographic was designed to clearly communicate spatial patterns and relationships using a combination of choropleth maps and supporting charts. County-level choropleth maps were used to visualize geographic variation in physical inactivity and preventable hospitalization rates, while a scatterplot and bar chart provided statistical and comparative context. A restrained color palette with contrasting warm and cool tones was chosen to differentiate variables while maintaining visual cohesion across the layout. Clean, sans-serif typography and consistent alignment were used to establish visual hierarchy and ensure readability, allowing the maps to remain the primary focus while supporting elements reinforced the overall narrative.  

In this lab, I examined how different methods of creating color ramps influence readability and interpretation in choropleth maps. Three sequential color ramps were created using the same base hue: a linear RGB progression, an adjusted RGB progression, and a ramp derived from ColorBrewer values. The linear progression used equal RGB intervals, which produced noticeable issues in the darker classes where color differences were harder to perceive. The adjusted progression addressed this problem by increasing the spacing between darker color values, resulting in smoother visual transitions across the ramp. The ColorBrewer-based ramp provided the most balanced and visually effective result, as it is designed to account for human color perception and contrast. Overall, this comparison showed that while manually constructed RGB ramps are helpful for understanding color theory, perceptually optimized ramps generally produce clearer and more effective thematic maps. OTHER DELIVERABLES FROM THI...