FlowMapper.org: A web-based framework for designing origin-destination flow maps

TL;DR

FlowMapper.org is a web-based tool that enables users to create, customize, and share origin-destination flow maps with advanced symbology, supplementary layers, and interactive features, facilitating flow pattern analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive web platform with customizable flow symbology, supplementary layers, and server-side processing for flow maps, enhancing existing flow mapping systems.

Findings

Supports user data upload and sharing of customized maps

Includes algorithms for curved, tapered flow lines reducing clutter

Enables interactive exploration with zoom, filter, and details

Abstract

FlowMapper.org is a web-based framework for automated production and design of origin-destination flow maps (https://flowmapper.org). FlowMapper has four major features that contribute to the advancement of existing flow mapping systems. First, users can upload and process their own data to design and share customized flow maps. The ability to save data, cartographic design and map elements in a project file allows users to easily share their data and cartographic design with others. Second, users can customize the flow line symbology by including options to change the flow line style, width, and coloring. FlowMapper includes algorithms for drawing curved line styles with varying thickness along a flow line, which reduces the visual cluttering and overlapping by tapering flow lines at origin and destination points. The ability to customize flow symbology supports different flow map reading tasks such as comparing flow magnitudes and directions and identifying flow and location clusters that are strongly connected with each other. Third, FlowMapper supports supplementary layers such as node symbol, choropleth, and base maps to contextualize flow patterns with location references and characteristics such as net-flow, gross flow, net-flow ratio, or a locational attribute such as population density. FlowMapper also supports user interactions to zoom, filter, and obtain details-on-demand functions to support visual information seeking about nodes, flows and regions. Finally, the web-based architecture of FlowMapper supports server side computational capabilities to process, normalize and summarize large flow data to reveal natural patterns of flows.