Madeline Rouse
Cartography
Portfolio
About Me
After graduating with my M.S. in Spatial Sciences from the University of Southern California,
I started my career in GIS Analysis and Cartography.
With a background in GIS, map design, psycholinguistics, and dance, I strive to combine my interdisciplinary knowledge to create beautiful, simple, informative, and accessible maps.
I am based in Seattle and am especially passionate about natural resources, environmental phenomena, and outdoor recreation.
Selected Work
Mt. Baker via Easton Glacier
November 2023
This visualization of the Mt. Baker Easton route in northern Washington was inspired by my own experience climbing the route in June 2023. We started the climb around midnight, and the line of climbers’ headlamps dotting the route ahead was a beautiful sight.
This map is my attempt at recreating that visual, and was hand-drawn in Inkscape over Google Earth imagery.
5 Awesome* First Dates in Seattle
November 2023
#30DayMapChallenge
The prompt for this map was “a bad map.” Based on discourse in the carto community about the exclusive nature of making maps with poor design choices and calling them “bad,” I went a different direction.
This comedic story map gives some... questionable... first-date advice for Seattleites..
LA is Way Bigger Than You Think
November 2023
#30DayMapChallenge
The prompt for this map was Polygons. When I moved to LA for school, I was shocked when I realized how far we had to drive to get “across town.” This map was designed to show the visual size difference between the greater LA area and other major US cities.
Hikes of Summer 2023
November 2023
#30DayMapChallenge
The prompt for this map was Lines. With tracks from my summer AllTrails hikes in Washington state, I designed this map entirely in QGIS.
Four-Year Colleges and Universities in Washington
November 2023
#30DayMapChallenge
The prompt for this map was Points. I used this map as a way to become more familiar with QGIS by going through a workflow I had previously developed in ArcGIS Pro. The final labeling work was done in Inkscape.
April 2023
My Master's Capstone at USC examined the relationship between ethnolinguistic identity and attack effects during the first year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
I've found that cultural impacts frequently get overlooked in the GEOINT field, and wanted to challenge that habit by highlighting the understudied ethnolinguistic impacts of a commonly known security issue.
This work is also being adapted into a chapter for a GEOINT workbook published by Esri.
New Zealand Basemap
March 2023
Using scale- and attribute-based symbology, I created this basemap of New Zealand for the Esri Cartography MOOC. While the work here is fairly basic, the tools and concepts I learned have inspired me to create my own (more thorough) basemaps in the future.
Voter turnout in the UK vs US
March 2023
Created as part of Esri's Cartography MOOC, this map was born from a curiosity about how voter turnout in the US stacks up against other democracies. You may notice the lack of certain "essential map elements"— an intentional omission since the topic at hand is a comparison that doesn't rely on scale, cardinal direction, or numerical percentage. (But, for those wondering, the US average was around 60%)
Mt. Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) Topographic Map
July 2022
I designed this map to be more artistic than for reference, while still including a custom north arrow and scale bar to orient the reader.
Major Watersheds of Washington State
September 2022
Based on data from Washington State's GIS portal, this map shows the 8 major watersheds found in the state. Future goals for this work include creating a custom basemap and making the design colorblind-friendly.
Map Series: Hazards on Ballast Point Loop Trail
March 2022
I created these maps as part of a research project on Catalina Island, CA to identify trail hazards and make recommendations for trail restoration and reconstruction.
The clear, clean layout with common-sense symbology and inset maps allows the reader to analyze the data for themself.
Created with both a light and dark color scheme to match various presentation aesthetics.
3D Visualization of Hazards on Ballast Point Loop Trail
March 2022
This is another map I created to support our trail research work on Catalina Island, CA. This 3D model empowers readers to understand the relationship between slope, elevation, topography, and hazards without needing to read a 2D topographic map.
Study Area Map: Ballast Point Loop Trail
March 2022
This is the fourth and final map I created to support our trail research work on Catalina Island, CA. This simple imagery map clearly depicts Catalina Island, the study trail, and the island's two major cities. This quickly, simply, and easily orients readers.
A Tourist's Guide to Santa Cruz, CA
February 2022
I created this map as part of my Spring 2022 cartography class, and also to assist in my own trip planning activities. Ahead of my trip to Santa Cruz at the end of February, I researched activities in the area, geocoded them, and sorted them into activity types. The final product is a wonderful tourist's guide to the city, complete with easy-to-read activity names and major roadways and an extremely simple eye-pleasing symbology.
November 2021
This story map showcases my ability to turn cartographic products into narratives, combining a variety of visual tools with additional research and text to motivate understanding and change.
Criteria for Populations at Risk of Landslides in the WA Cascade Range
April 2021
This is one of the very first maps I created in my GIS degree. While it is one of my more "beginner" maps, I am still pleased with the symbology I selected. The colors are easily distinguishable while still being aesthetically pleasing, and the use of the inset map helps orient the reader.
If I were to redesign this map now, I would choose a more appropriate coordinate system for all layers (notice how the "heavy rainfall" area does not line up properly with the US-Canadian border) and make use of the negative space to the Northwest and Southeast of the study area by moving the inset map and key into the frame.
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Contact Me
rouse.madeline@gmail.com
206-979-6628
I'm also a choreographer! Check out my dance portfolio at https://madelinerouse.my.canva.site/choreography