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This was the first time I had ever used a software like ArcGIS, and it was extremely helpful to have a thorough and step-by-step explanation on how to use it to create these maps. It was a bit difficult to figure out the glitch that occurred when joining tables to create the population density map, but after using a new copy of the database it worked out eventually.
One pitfall of GIS is that it is not user-friendly for the general public. Even with the step-by-step tutorial, I still did not fully understand exactly what I was doing with ArcGIS for every step. I would not be able to navigate all the commands and make a good map on my own without a tutorial. This software is extremely complex and while it may be a good tool for GIS experts and researchers, it is maybe not easy enough for general users to take advantage of or learn from.
Another pitfall or difficulty that seems to be inherent with GIS is figuring out how to form the data to be imported into software such as ArcGIS in the first place. It was very useful and interesting to make these maps with ArcGIS, but it still took much extra measurement or data processing to make the database for this project in the first place. I feel like I don't have the ability or detailed knowledge to actually make a database on my own, thus I wouldn't really know how to make a map unless I have somebody give me the data first. Thus ArcGIS seems to be limited by who has the extensive and complicated knowledge to make these maps.
Despite this, however, GIS is still an invaluable tool for spatial analysis. The map layering is especially helpful because it can connect different data to help users make informed decisions, such as how much area the noise from a proposed airport expansion would affect. GIS helps users make sure this map layering is precise and accurate and it allows users to add their own variations in the data to see how things might be if they changed certain variables.
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