How should I visualise my data?

Everything starts with data. It can be difficult to visualise or fully understand your location data (represented as points, lines, and polygons) alongside regular data fields without a GIS system. By visualising your data on a map in ArcGIS Online, you can easily try many different types of data visualisation techniques with smart mapping styles. Try this yourself with our UK economic activity scenario. You can create the map following the steps in our last #mapthis or save a copy of our map.

The Map Viewer in ArcGIS Online allows you to explore the smart mapping styles. When you use Change Style in the Map Viewer, it will suggest styles based on the data you're inputting. We had multiple attributes in the economic activity data and the Predominant Category Style was suggested (see previous #mapthis). This time, what if we want to display the predominant economic activity and how many people there are in that area? Try the Predominant Category and Size style. How is the data visualised now?

ArcGIS Online includes even more smart mapping tools in the next generation Map Viewer (currently in Beta). Using Styles in the Map Viewer Beta this time, select Dot Density. This mapping style is new to ArcGIS Online and makes your data story more personal by representing a count of something or someone with an individual dot. If we visualise our UK economic activity data with the Dot Density style, we can visually represent each person and their economic activity status in the UK. How powerful is that? Feel free before moving onto the next step to explore the other smart mapping styles available.

Share your maps with ease on the same platform. Choose from a suite of Configurable App Templates to quickly create an app to share your meaningful data or take full control of the look and layout of your app with Experience Builder...with no coding required! When you're ready, your app can be shared securely with team members, different departments, or even another collaborating organisation. ArcGIS Online is also the perfect platform to host public-facing apps and share your data globally. Which app template will you choose?