Visualizing <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 information for public: Designs, effectiveness, and preference of thematic maps

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has affected human lives at all levels. Maps visualizing this have become a valuable tool for public to retrieve and understand the situation in their areas of interest. Some earlier maps visualize information level country or state United States, but viewers could not access finer such as county. Motivated by necessity level, study designs thematic map displaying confirmed cases county State New York. utilizes choropleth design with defined data classification colors symbolization. This then evaluates designed two other published maps: one from York Department Health Times. evaluation collects 147 valid responses over world. Results show that yields higher accuracy understanding. In addition, receives preference among participants. suggests importance understanding data, readers, mapping purpose decision symbolization design, it contributes largely effectiveness interpretation.