Creating my campus map with ArcGIS
For this map, which I created on ArcGIS Online, I started by choosing the Imagery Hybrid basemap so building footprints and paths were easy to see. I uploaded my CSV, then experimented with symbology to make a simple pattern legible at a glance, using a numeric field to size symbols and labels to keep the meaning clear. To connect the dots to the campus surface, I created a sketch (polygon) layer and traced the outlines of the buildings I identified. I adjusted fill transparency so the satellite imagery still read underneath and added a few pop-ups with building images for context. After saving, I shared the map with the Hacking the Humanities group and published an Instant App to embed it cleanly.
The biggest design choice was balancing clarity and context. Symbols should be large enough to communicate the pattern without covering the polygons, and I used semi-transparent fills so the basemap stayed informative. The use of labels and pop-ups helped to clarify data without turning the map into a poster of text. Tracing polygons took patience, but it made the places feel tangible.
Discussion
ArcGIS Online is very powerful and not overly complex. It has a nice, clear workflow and lets me spend time on choices that matter: what to emphasize, how to present data, and how to invite readers to explore. Web mapping invokes conversation and argument with place. We can join spreadsheets to geography, layer historical materials, and tell stories that unfold spatially instead of linearly. For some DH projects, like oral histories, traceback, archival photo tours, campus memory work, maps become interfaces for sources, not just illustrations. They also make uncertainty visible (through scales, symbology, and metadata), which is crucial for responsible and tangible interpretation.
2 thoughts on “Lab 5: Mapping my campus experience”
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Great work with your map, Rui. I like your idea of outlining the buildings instead of fully coloring them in. Viewers are still able to see the architecture of the building this way, and not just its location. I also wanted to point out your last paragraph talking about ArcGIS itself. I agree it is a very powerful tool, and while the platform may not seem complex, I believe that only a very experienced user would be able to create the most advanced projects.
I really like your choice of the Imagery Hybrid basemap. I initially considered using it but was concerned it might reduce map clarity. However, your choices of labels and transparent polygons actually maintain the map’s informativeness. I also agree that ArcGIS Online is powerful yet not overly complex to use. I like your point about using historical data in layers to tell stories that unfold spatially rather than linearly. It’s a compelling way to visualize how events and changes occur across geographic space.