Chapter 2. Visualizing and Styling the Data

Collecting and organizing data from different sources is only half of the story. The next step is to present it on a map, accurately disclosing thematic content and features. For this purpose, various techniques of visual design, or styling layers based on their attributes, are used in GIS. QGIS has incredibly broad and flexible capabilities of cartographic visualization and data styling.

In this chapter, we will go through the following topics and skills:

• Good practices with respect to data organization within a single working document (project)
• Visual representation of data, revealing its thematic and spatial features
• Layer labeling, which is done to enhance data readability
• Control over styles
• Base maps used to provide spatial context and a background for your data

The main result of this chapter will be a project, designed according to the basic requirements of cartographic visualization.