Course Overview
We love maps. They tell us the “where” of the story in a glance. Maps are the most effective visual tool for communicating ideas, explaining complex concepts, illustrating relationships or for telling a story.
Data Mapping is a two-day, hands-on certificate workshop focused on communicating complex information with visually appealing maps. Participants will learn to create a clearer, more meaningful picture of complex information, understand the story in a map, and create effective and creative static and interactive maps.
Course Outcomes
You will learn:
- To employ best practices in graphic design techniques.
- To use maps to interview the data and find the story.
- The basic mapping concepts, including geocoding for identifying latitude and longitude, projections and how to choose them.
- To identify when and how to use each type of map to illustrate your data and your story, including choropleths, scaled points, heatmaps and other ways of aggregating point data, and cartograms.
- The basics of geographic data formats: KML, Shapefiles, CSV and how to find geo data.
- To create multilayered static and interactive maps, including exporting to print and web-friendly image formats.
- To use and apply mapping tools such as Mapbox, CartoDB and Google Fusion Tables for creating highly engaging data driven maps.
You’ll enjoy personalized small class instruction from expert instructors. This program is an applied learning experience for beginners in data mapping. You’ll work hands-on with the tools and create real examples of static and interactive maps. This assures that you will be ready to apply your new skill set immediately upon completion of the workshop and leave with concrete examples of highly effective illustrated stories with data visualizations.
Who Should Attend?
Ideal for career professionals interested in a rapid-paced, immersive experience in data visualization mapping tools & techniques, including marketing communicators, analysts, scientists, journalists, web editors, educators, and those interested in communicating data with clarity and originality.
Instructors & Facilitators
Instructors subject to change.
Peter Aldhous
Prerequisites
Requirements
- All participants must bring their own laptop for use during this workshop and it must be WiFi ready.
- The level of this workshop is beginning. No previous data visualization experience is required.
- Participants must be comfortable with technical subjects and learning in a fast-paced environment.
- Knowledge of Excel spreadsheets or Google drive is recommended. SPREADSHEET TUTORIAL
- A personal Google gmail account is required for this class. Please remember to bring your user login and password information with you.
- Proficiency in English.