The example I am using for the “well-designed map” is one I selected off of the National Geographic website. Like the majority of their visual media, I find this map visual stimulating. But more than that, I believe it qualifies for Edward Tufte’s definition of “Graphical Excellence”. The map I have chosen is multivariate, it presents interesting data that is communicated efficiently, and isn’t filled with “chartjunk.” The color palate chosen is striking yet not overwhelming and the text and county borders are subtitle yet clear and legible. It is lacking a title which I am assuming wasn’t the case in print from. I have noticed that many of the maps don’t keep the same format when transferred to their website and titles are lost.
Here is the link
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/age-of-man/map-interactive
It is an interactive map with correlation between income and birthrate, C02 emissions, literacy rate, fertility rate..... Pretty interesting.
Do you
see pink in the key? One can only assume that the pink states should be the
“one Democrat, one Republican” purple states that the key suggests. I guess
that the map designer skipped the Tufteisms number 17 “ revise and edit.” Besides that very large mistake, it isn’t a
very interesting map, but ‘tis the nature of the political map.
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