Maps Are Hard: Observations from Being Hired to Make Simple Web MapsPatrick Hammons, Code for AmericaSpurred on by both the proliferation of online, low-barrier-to-entry spatial tools as well as local education groups like Maptime, many non-GIS individuals and groups have been brought into the mapping world over the past four years. Although this represents a significant shift from the days of ESRI-focused cartographic training and specialization, there exist further barriers, both in terms of pedagogy as well as interface, that coincide with, for example, non-profits hiring GIS consultants to produce simple web maps. This talk seeks to open a discussion about ways forward in non-academic cartographic education, drawing on the presenter's consulting experience with small social-service focused nonprofits. Empowering such groups with the tools and confidence to do their own regular analysis work could bear fruits not only for the groups themselves as they seek support, but for the lived experiences of the communities they serve.
http://bit.ly/spooky-nacis-2015Starting Conversations for More Accessible MapsMitch Schaps, Catholic Charities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Alison Link, University of Minnesota Kitty Hurley, State of MinnesotaIn today’s age, there can often be a disconnect between the message an analyst wants to deliver with a map or app, and the perception users will have of it. Cartographers’ choices can sometimes cause a map’s message to be misconstrued or lost completely to different groups of users. We’re a group of GIS enthusiasts who have initiated conversations about map accessibility in different spaces--at work, in the classroom, and at community technology events. We’ll share a set of map accessibility guidelines that emerged at a civic hackathon, and that we’re continually working on refining and bringing into community conversations. This presentation isn’t a checklist; instead, it’s a starting point to help stimulate ongoing conversations around map accessibility. We’ll share our stories and provide some resources and strategies for incorporating accessibility conversations into your day-to-day work.
https://speakerdeck.com/geospatialem/nacis-2015-starting-conversations-for-more-accessible-mapsDesigning Together (10 minute talk)
Nick Martinelli, TerraSeerLet’s talk about real time collaboration online while designing web maps. Cartography is often a solitary exercise. But I am sure most of us would agree that our best work comes when we have regular and critical feedback. Those of us lucky enough to have spent time working in a cartography lab at a private or public shop have all benefited from spontaneous and thoughtful interactions with other cartographers. This presentation will focus on a tool that we are building that encourages real time interaction throughout the process of creating of web maps. We hope this will allow some of that spontaneous interaction to happen in an online environment. The project, we have been calling weMap, is mostly a selfish endeavor driven by the fact that I work remotely and crave real time interaction with cartographic collaborators.
GIS for the People, By the People (10 minute talk)
Sam Matthews, Code for AmericaA classic GIS is like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. The spatial data world is filled with bulky and dense tools that offer more functionality than required, which clutters our experience and over complicates simple geospatial processes. With community-driven, open source tools such as
geojson.io and Turf.js we are seeing GIS become more modular and task oriented. This talk looks at combining these simple tools into a web-based geospatial analysis tool, called Dropchop (
https://github.com/cugos/dropchop) and how it has only been possible by gathering input from a community of users who cannot afford expensive, enterprise GIS solutions.
bit.ly/gisforthepeople
