My Refined Map with Color

 

 

For this assignment, I refined the Florida COVID-19 Cases by ZIP Code map I created in Module 2 by bringing it into Adobe Illustrator. The dataset, originally from the Florida Department of Health and archived by the USF Libraries Digital Heritage and Humanities Collection, shows case counts as of April 28, 2021.

After exporting the map from Tableau, I vectorized it in Illustrator so I could edit individual ZIP shapes. I then applied a 6-class sequential blue color scale to better show variation in the data. The ranges I used were:

  • 0–499

  • 500–999

  • 1,000–1,999

  • 2,000–2,999

  • 3,000–3,999

  • 4,000–5,000+

This made the map much clearer than the default gradient, which was skewed by extreme outliers (ZIPs with up to 16,000 cases). By capping the scale at 5,000, I reduced the influence of those outliers and allowed the mid-range ZIPs (1,000–2,000 cases) to show meaningful differences.

To improve readability, I added a legend, a title with the date, and labels for major cities (Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). These additions orient the viewer and explain the color scale. I also cleaned the design by using a professional blue palette from ColorBrewer, which is colorblind-safe and avoids inconsistencies that came from the raw Tableau export.

In terms of design principles, I used Gestalt proximity by grouping the legend title and labels close together, similarity by keeping all ZIPs in one hue (blue), and contrast by placing city labels on light panels so they stand out against dark areas. These refinements made the map not just more visually appealing, but also more effective in communicating how COVID-19 spread across Florida ZIP codes in spring 2021.

Data Source:
Florida COVID-19 Cases by Zip Code, April 28, 2021. Florida Department of Health via USF Libraries Digital Heritage and Humanities Collection.

 

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