7 key things I learned from #30DayMapChallenge

Last month I finished the #30DayMapChallenge, a mapping challenge that takes place in November, open to everyone and resulting in a stunningly beautiful gallery of work, and I am still enjoying it!😄

The challenge was started by Topi Tjukanov last year and is very simple. 30 Days, 30 themes, create one map every day, no registration, no constrictions, posting on twitter with the hashtag. There is a main hub of information to start from, including data sources, tools and tutorials.

This year there were more than 7,000 maps created, and quite a lot of people managed to post all 30 days (I’m one of them!). The twitterverse is still full of posts inspired by the challenge.

I had absolutely no knowledge about creating maps, using GIS or the type of data that can be used but when I came across a message about this challenge in an IEEE VIS session, I felt compelled to do it.

I thought it would be demanding but I was still surprised by how much time and effort I needed to invest, from finding the data, to understanding the data (raster, what?), cleaning the data, and learning completely new tools or new features in what I thought I knew.

What I learned was both technical and personal.

7 key things I learned

1. New tools — QGIS, Mapbox
   Two valuable tools I barely scratched the surface of.
   I used Mapbox mostly for the visual effects that I then inserted into Tableau maps, but I managed to import data into it as well. The interface is friendly and intuitive, and the ever present option of resetting to default colors reduced my anxiety about my changes.
   Thinking of trying Mapbox came when I wanted a small change in a map design, emphasizing water sources (a map option I discarded about wells in California). The level of knowledge I needed to achieve that visual change, and later use it in Tableau was minimal so I played with it in other maps. It is still nothing compared to what’s available.
   QGIS was scary. I don’t know how it ranks as a GIS tool but to me it looks like a monster. A very powerful tool once you tame the beast, and full of options I did not imagine are necessary but still with crashing tantrums and a way of thinking that is very different from my own. Some of the aspects I used were the multiple layers I could add, and the 3D option. I should probably go through more QGIS tutorials and some map basics.
2. I found some new ways to use known tools such as different map designs in Tableau (Allan Walker via Ken Black), and the built-in maps in Excel, as well as “hacked” ones. Excel feels like an older relative with their known habits, and it was fun to discover different ways of using its familiar features.
3. Some things don’t change
   My experience in life has taught me that preparation is extremely helpful. Still, I prefer to work under a bit of stress, and I design more creative solutions this way. I was “helped” by my lack of knowledge in regards to map making. So when I had to scrap several hours-worth of work it felt like it was part of the process.
4. Experts generously share their knowledge 👏
   Blog posts and YouTube tutorials are what pushed me forward when I was stuck (and let’s not forget stackoverflow.com).
   It *is* well known that the data visualization community is very supportive but still so gratifying to see the amount of content people create for the sake of sharing their experience. I would like to get to a place where I think I can contribute as well.
5. A different way of thinking
   I am used to seeing maps as a way to present data, and not present their “mappiness”, but sometimes the medium really is the message. The map is the information. I like this shift in perception and I consciously chose it .
6. I still like to code a little 😁
   I actually liked it when I had to use a bit of python to rearrange my data.
   One of the techniques used to draw a route in Tableau required that I have one record for each data point, instead of the one record with start and end points that I already had. The code is not pretty or portable but it got the job done, it’s usable. Another affirmation I’m in the right place. Programming can be awesome, but I prefer to see how it is useful.
7. I am determined (stubborn?) I am very proud to have contributed every day, and even if on a few occasions the date in my particular state was tomorrow, it was still ok in the whole USA (oh, I can rhyme too). Thank You Hawaii. 😉

I’m proud of my newbie maps and I hope to not to cringe too much next year when I join the challenge again.

To summarize, the challenge was hard and fun and demanding and enriching.

For example, I’ve never used the animation feature in Tableau and couldn’t think of a good use for it, but my mapping of hurricane routes showed me a possible purpose. Animation ca show the progress or the changes from one stage to another, without overloading on all data points at once.
I can always show those at the beginning and end, after showing the journey and data transformation. I’ll consider it, but over shorter stages (not 150+ years).

Thank you Topi Tjukanov for coming up with this challenge!