Creating a Choropleth Map: A Guide to Visualizing Population Density in the United States

In recent years, choropleth maps have become increasingly popular among designers and data enthusiasts alike. These color-coded maps use varying degrees of saturation and hue to indicate statistical values within adjacent polygons, providing a unique visual representation of complex data.

To create a choropleth map of US population density, you can follow these steps:

1. Start by installing ArcGIS Maps for Adobe CC (M4CC) from Adobe Exchange if you haven't already.

2. Open Illustrator and log in to the M4CC extension.

3. Zoom to your desired extent and draw a box around the area you want to map. In this example, we'll be creating a choropleth map of population density in Minnesota.

Once you've drawn your Mapboard, you can begin visualizing the data. The ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud extension allows you to easily import demographic and spatial data from Esri's extensive database.

4. Select the Mapboard tool from the upper-left corner of the Mapboards tab.

5. Choose a layer to visualize, such as population density data.

6. Adjust the color scheme and legend to effectively communicate the data.

Tips for creating an effective choropleth map:

* Use contrasting colors to make it easy to distinguish between different values.

* Experiment with different color schemes to find one that best represents your data.

* Keep in mind that designers come to mapping with fresh eyes, so don't be afraid to bend the rules and try new things.

In this article, we've walked through the process of creating a choropleth map of Minnesota population density using ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud. With these steps and tips, you can create your own visualizations and explore the world of cartography.

As designers, we often get caught up in staying within traditional boundaries of our craft. But mapping allows us to break free from those constraints and explore new ways of communicating complex data. By incorporating choropleth maps into our designs, we can provide a unique perspective on the world around us and engage audiences like never before.

Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, creating a choropleth map is a great exercise for exploring cartography and dataviz. And with ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud, the possibilities are endless.

References:

* ArcGIS Maps for Adobe CC (M4CC)

* Esri's extensive database of demographic and spatial data

* Illustrator tutorial: Creating a Choropleth Map

Choropleth map of us population density