“Click on the image for a PDF version of my graphic”
I found this project challenging because of the actual drawing component that was required. It was arduous to outline every little line of the state that I had based my data off and even after spending a couple of hours doing so I know it’s far from perfect. But at least I got something that sort of resembles the state of California so I’m happy with that.
Another challenging aspect of this project was, believe it or not, color. It was difficult to fill my outline of California with brown and green because of the way Id drawn it, the fill would sometimes go out of the map or there would be certain sections within it that would not fill(thanks to my awesome drawing skills). So I took the outline I’d drawn on Illustrator and moved it over to Photoshop, where I just filled in the colors I’d wanted. After doing so I brought the image back to illustrator and then I decided to create a proportional symbols map, because I wasn’t too familiar or comfortable with making a 3-D chart diagram and a locator map seemed like it would take forever to create,especially with all the nuances involved in drawing roads and locator symbols. So I decided that a proportional symbols map was the way to go. Granted, it is difficult to tell some bubbles apart but I think the numbers to the side and the scale I created beneath the map save the reader from total confusion. I didnt draw the north pacific ocean to the side because I thought it was unnecessary, especially for the purposes of this graphic. Maybe I could’ve marked the water body in the inset but that might’ve been too much.
The color scheme was decided upon spontaneously, I’m not sure why I chose green and brown but I sort of just went with it. The little design element done with the scale was also spontaneous. It doesn’t really relate to the topic I just thought it looked aesthetic. The inset to the bottom right was taken from the U.S map provided to us on the last deadliner. I followed the steps provided on the handout for the locator map to create to. This map was colored in Illustrator.
After all that the rest was a cinch. I wrote the Headline and a little but of body copy, scaled the graphic to meet the requirements and turned it in.
Looking at the graphic now, I think it might’ve been better if the inset actually looked like an inset as opposed to a random piece of the American map on the side. Maybe even a box to outline that this is not part of the original graphic.
I dont think this is a great graphic, by any means, but I don’t think its terrible either.
My diagram project is about the last dive Purdue graduate David Boudia performed at the London 2012 Olympics three years ago.This dive won him the gold medal in the Men’s 10-meter platform competition against China’s Qui Bo and Great Britain’s Thomas Daley. This win was especially important to the United States because it was the first gold medal and American male has won in the sport of diving since 1992 when Mark Lenzi won the gold in the Men’s 3-meter springboard competition at the Barcelona games.
