Mapping Design Choices

Maps are powerful tools for revealing patterns, relationships, and distributions that would remain hidden in tables or charts. This page presents an interactive map of Mexico, designed to support exploration of state-level data in an intuitive, focused, and accessible way. Users can select a state from the dropdown menu to immediately re-centre and zoom into its geographic area, with state borders drawn clearly to provide spatial context and orientation.

When designing interactive dashboards with mapping components, it is crucial to balance functionality with clarity. Every design choice, from colour palettes to zoom behaviours, must prioritise readability and user comprehension. Interactivity should empower users to explore details on demand without overwhelming them, while aesthetic simplicity maintains focus on the data itself rather than decorative distractions.

The map presented here aims to achieve these goals by enabling seamless navigation, preserving geographic accuracy, and maintaining a clean visual hierarchy that guides the viewer's attention. As you interact with this map, consider how its design choices enhance usability, storytelling, and trust in the data being visualised, core principles underpinning effective spatial data communication.