Website and portfolio

For this blog post I will be talking about a part of my portfolio shown through my website which includes some examples of project work from school and work. The task was to build a website, which I did using Wix. After putting it together I completed a video recording with Panopto talking about the website, portfolio, and project work. 

Putting a portfolio together was easy as long as I had access to my completed maps and project work. (This should be an easy thing but better organization had to be key from the beginning.) Wix was easy to use for the website build, I just created an account and off I went. Wix has tutorials to preview for help getting through the process and once I went through those it was straightforward. Requirements for the site were part of the course assignment. These included sections of Home, About, Resume, GIS Portfolio, and Contact information. I never realized how easy it would be to set up my own website and the best part is that it was free. It took me a few weeks to get it right, not daily for weeks but it was good to take my time adding and removing items in the site sections. 

In going through the process of building the site and making it look professional I wanted the site to be visually engaging also. I adhered to adding what was necessary in the relevant sections, the home and about me pages but adding images from Wix templates made it look better. I felt this made it a better site to scroll through. Additionally, I added a page to include an Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) video entitled “What is GIS?” at the end of the tour. Who better to answer that question than ESRI, the maker of the software most of use, ArcGIS? This may answer questions that some may have but it was also an interesting piece to add. "What is GIS?" is by far the most common question I get from friends and family so adding it to the portfolio site will hopefully help me to answer that question in greater detail.

Creating a website is not something I thought I would ever do and to be honest creating a blog was never appealing either. However, being involved with GIS is a creative process. There is so much information to work with and the output deserves to be seen and shared. I have an appreciation of the process for the website and portfolio. What I presented for my portfolio is only a small part of what I have done but it represents my work as a whole. Whether creating maps, analyzing data, building geodatabases, or building an extensive model in ModelBuilder, GIS is always fun and, yes, frustrating at times. Sharing my work motivates me further to go beyond what is required for work. To go beyond what is simply necessary to map and to share with other GIS users to hopefully encourage and motivate others to see beyond their city or state. 

Website - https://jeromeclambert.wixsite.com/4gis 

GIS Day Event 11/20/2024

The theme for this year's GIS Day is Mapping Minds, Shaping the World so it seemed fitting to share what GIS is with someone close to me. I created a GIS Day event at home for my family so we could have a more involved conversation about how GIS is a passion for many, including myself, and how integrated it truly is into our daily lives. What is GIS is a common enough question when asked ‘What do I do for a living’ but how do I explain it? Usually, I explain it as map-making with data but leave out many details because even though I am excited to talk about it, not everyone is as excited to listen. 

Talking about GIS is easy but explaining without overwhelming someone with the GIS lingo can be a challenge and I understand my enthusiasm for all things mapped is probably not to be shared. That said, it was fun to share and discuss how GIS is more than making maps. My girlfriend works for a large insurance company so we talked about ways GIS could relate to her company to help guide the conversation. The work environment is so connected now, with weekly meetings via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other platforms, distances are no longer an issue so I created a map of points showing where some of her co-workers work from around the world. It was a simple easy way to convey how GIS can begin with something fun and personally relatable. It reminded me of the first time I opened ArcGIS Pro, feeling overwhelmed but realizing how much potential GIS has. She and I talked about the world and how small it really is when viewed on maps. I relayed my experiences with making maps, and because we love to travel, how being immersed in GIS helps me view the world differently. 

It was fun to share GIS Day and even though it was probably more fun for me, it helped us open up more about our perceptions of how the world is portrayed through simple maps. Another fun part for me was revisiting thoughts and experiences from when I first came across GIS many years ago. GIS Day is a great way to celebrate GIS communities where people enjoy helping others succeed. Communities that are always helpful with learning and encouraging success.