Research Proposal on "Map Reviews Platts, a Provider of Energy"

Research Proposal 4 pages (1294 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Map Reviews

Platts, a provider of energy and metals, has created this map to inform consumers that it is progressive in its use of wind resources. However, for a number of reasons, consumers will have trouble understanding what Platts is actually trying to convey. The largest problem is the legend which includes wind power density, wind power plants, transmission lines, and geography. Because the text of the legend is so small and because it includes so much information, it's impossible to tell what the symbols actually stand for. For instance, there are three types of wind power plants represented by green, light blue, and blue circles, but the reader will be unlikely to know what these colors represent. On the map itself, it's impossible to locate wind power density perphaps because the colors to use it are so similar to the color of the map's background. Lighter colored transmission lines are also very difficult to identify because their color is close to the map's background color. The symbols use for geography, whatever they may represent, are difficult to locate because they are so small on the map.

With all these flaws, there is significant room for improvement. The following is a list of recommendations for improving the map's display:

Keep it simple. Platts might consider eliminating the mapping of one of its variables such as wind power density or geography. I doubt if the average consumer would even understand wind power density. However, they would understand wind power plants if it not been offiscated by too much data.

Include a title on the map that describes the data and its timeframe

Use a larger text size for the legend.

Use colors in the legend which are distinct from the color of the map's background to increase readability.

Increase the size of symbols so that they are more apparent.

These changes should give the user a better understanding of what the data actually represents.

References

Wind resources of the Western United States, 2007-2008 edition. http://www.esri.com/mapmuseum/mapbook_gallery/volume24/electric2.html

This map is intended to help staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 to analyze regional pollution so they can better understand the ozone problem in key areas. The symbols used in the legend and on the map are varied, colorful and eye catching. Overall, this is a very good visual representation of the data. Unfortunately, the text used to dsecribe what data the symbols stand for is too small to read. Further, the font color for names of the geographies on the map blend in with the map's background color, making them difficult to read. Also, the text associated with the dashed red lines that flow from the map is too small. Finally, a large amount of data is found in one area of the map, making it a bit too crowded to understand.

With only a few minor changes, this would be an excellent map. The following is a list of recommendations for improving the map's display:

The legend must absolutely be readable. Therefore, more space should be allocated for it and a large text size should be used. The use already has to use the scroll feature to see the legend, so a larger legend would not impact usability.

Use a darker color for the names of geographical areas on the map.

Use a larger text size for the text associated with the dashed red lines. This can easily be done since this text is well outside of the map's edges.

Implement zoom features or additional drill down for easier viewing of data that occurs in mostly one area of the map.

Include a title on the map that describes the data and its timeframe

These changes should give the user a better understanding of what the data actually represents and for what areas.

References

Houston ozone and ozone precursor monitoring network. http://www.esri.com/mapmuseum/mapbook_gallery/volume24/environment8.html

This map is designed for… READ MORE

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