In a previous post, Visualizing Maps: Google Analytics maps, we saw how Google Analytics maps render when extruded from their context and/or seen as a black & white image.

USA states?

Looking at the USA map where users origin is highlighted darkening the relevant state, the first thing that stands out is you have to know the state name just looking at the map. If this is, or should be, a quite easy task for an American reader, things are not so obvious for someone from Europe or somewhere else. If is it true that you have the detailed list of the states, together with their relevant figures, in a table just under the map image, is it also true that if you just look at the map (as it would be in the case you take the map alone to insert it in a custom layout for printing/slide show) it's not so immediate to find out the state name.

Converting maps into tag clouds

The solution proposed here is to convert the maps into tag clouds, the darkening of the states is converted in the name of the state following the well known convention of increasing the font size and weight.

If printed, even with a black & white printer, the resulting image still is more readable than the default map (in the following image the font colour has been turned to a 50% grey).

One step beyond, tag cloud with figures

The tag cloud could be enriched, that is having its readability enhanced, with the help of figures detailing the users access (in the case we are talking about here) by state.

Conversion process

For this project the conversion process followed is quite easy, and detailed in the following table. Ideally this could be solved with an API.