Intro to Graphic Design with Adobe Illustrator

Just as the title says, this week was an introduction to graphic design with Adobe Illustrator. While I am used to producing maps in ArcMap and find it easier and quicker to use, I can definitely see the value in AI for a cartographer. This week I chose the portrait layout for this assignment because it is my preference to highlight the shape of Florida which is more elongated than it is wide. I changed the font of the title (FLORIDA) to Algerian and set it to bold at 60pt. I felt like the font that I chose was bright, artistic, and added some flavor to an otherwise simple map. I set the state nickname as a subtitle, chose a different font MV Boli, 24pt, and 80% opacity. The state capital, Tallahassee, was written at 14pt with the standard ArcGIS capital symbol, while the two major cities, Jacksonville and Tampa, were labeled at 12pt with the ArcGIS city symbol. I chose to eliminate the Swamps and Marshes layer from the map because they took up a large portion in two areas. I felt leaving them in added extra attention which was not pertinent for a basic state map. Streams and lakes were the hydrographic features displayed. Since streams were thinner and harder to discern on the map, I chose a darker blue to help make them stand out more, while I went with a light blue for the lakes. I did a basic map frame by using the rectangle tool and sizing it to my aesthetic. I displayed the state bird with a title (mockingbirds are common but I would say less known by sight than a Bald Eagle) and the state seal. Honestly, I spent most of my time getting familiar with Adobe Illustrator since it is my first time using the software. Photoshop has always been overwhelming for me but I have never taken a structured course using it. The AI interface is complex for a new user but after a few do-overs and learning what layers to click and how to isolate when I am working on them really helped me feel more comfortable. There was a good portion of time spent using the selection and rectangle tool. I would like to learn how to make fancier borders for data frames, titles, and legends, but right now I feel good that I could produce minor elevations to a basic map.