The power of maps comes from their ability to help us understand and communicate. This typically happens through colorful visuals and carefully selected cartographic elements. But what if a map doesn’t seem to be visualizing anything? Can it still communicate and tell stories?
The interactive map below from Lisa Berry at Esri flips the paradigm. A suite of in-depth factoids about each place is available on the map, but they’re in the pop-ups. It would be confusing to visualize demographics, air quality, and the other info all at once. And there’s a lot on this map, including the following:
- Demographics such as population or median age
- Recent air quality
- Points of interest such as restaurants or medical facilities
- Current weather watches and warnings
Launch Interactive Map
This much data would be overwhelming on the map. It could be a lot to understand, even in a pop-up. But the map uses some clever tricks to make the information easy to comprehend.
Illustrated icons organize data in a clean, consistent structure. The pop-ups use straightforward language. Notes like “which is considered good air quality” add context and help interpret the PM 2.5 values. These touches help the map effectively communicate what’s happening in each place.
We love beautiful maps. But maps don’t have to be works of art to be effective. Maps can communicate in different ways. Smart information design that is well executed can have the same impact as a dynamic visual.
More to Explore
- Learn more about how this interactive map was created.
