When we think about using GIS to communicate information it can often be done with a single map. However, we often require additional 'help' relaying that information. This help can be in the form statistics and various graphs, which are derived from analysis of raw data. When the supplemental statistics and graphs are, then, combined with a map or multiple maps we create an infographic. The task for students this week was to create our own infographic that includes two maps, multiple charts and statistics stated in text format. The infographic I created highlights the relationship between smoking and reports of fair or poor health.
To create this infographic, data from County Health Rankings was combined with existing county GIS data to create two choropleth maps. The first map displays the percentage of adult smokers by county and the second map shows the percentage of adults that reported their health to be fair or poor. The maps are accompanied by two pie charts, a scatter plot showing the relationship between the two variables, a bar chart and a line graph. Each of these elements utilize colors from the same family of colors used on the maps to give an appearance of cohesiveness. The charts are also placed nearer to the maps that they relate to. Statistical information on the health-related risks is included, as well as statistics on the decrease of smoking by year, both of which are obtained from the Centers for Disease Control. Lastly, I chose to use one sans-serif font consistently throughout the infographic, in various sizes to highlight hierarchy while making the text easy to read.
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