Good, Bad and Ugly Maps

Maps can be either good, bad and sometimes they can be pretty ugly. The design of a map is crucial to how it is perceived by the viewer. For instance, if a map is not centered correctly or there is too much text, the map can deter the reader from focusing on the key points of the map.

The above map is a good example of what not to do when creating a map. As pretty and colorful as this map is, I can’t for the life of me figure out what information this map is trying to convey. For one, there is no “key” to tell the reader what each color means. And above all, a big “no, no!” goes out to this maps author for stating on the map that it is “highly inaccurate”. This defeats the purpose of the map and makes it pretty much irrelevant.

This map on the other hand, clearly indicates the maps purpose and includes a key to help explain the different data represented. Though the squared numbers are not defined, but one assumes they are the “percent of popular votes”.