COVID map

For an exhibition at the Qatar World Cup, we worked with Gates Ventures to capture the spread of COVID-19 on two physical maps.
Client

Gates Ventures

Project TypeInstallations
A world map, covered in red pins representing cases of COVID-19. Europe, the East of the Untied States, Japan and India are particularly busy.

The philanthropic think tank at Gates Ventures had a message: ‘The world wasn’t ready for COVID-19, but we have the power to prevent future pandemics.’

With an exhibition at the Qatar World Cup, they had an opportunity to put this priority in front of key decision-makers from across the planet.

We produced two physical maps that used pins to represent cases of COVID-19, illustrating the speed and scale at which it spread globally. The first map showed 11 March 2020, the day WHO declared a pandemic. The second showed estimated cases on the first day of the exhibition.

Fitting hundreds of pins onto each map was a challenge, so we used QGIS, an open-source map-making tool, to create a basemap that maximised countries’ landmasses, creating more space to place pins.

We used four colours to represent different thresholds of COVID cases. On the sparser 2020 map, pins were placed either in areas of notable outbreaks or in capital cities. For the much busier 2022 map, we switched to using population density to guide pin placements.

The final contrast speaks for itself. What were once pockets of disease have now become vast clouds of contagion, with more than 600 million cases globally. A pointed warning that we cannot ignore the threat of future pandemics.

A photo of a paper map of North america. The United States is full of red pins as a concept test for the final map.
A designer sits at a table with a laptop, paper map of Europe and a box of pins. The map already has several red pins in it as they test fitting all the pins on the map.
A close up of a paper map and a pair of hands, carefully pinning red dots in a dense cluster on the map.
A world map with many areas filled with red pins. Europe and India are particularly dense, with several more scattered throughout Russia.
A paper world map covered in red pins where COVID cases have occurred.
A world map, covered in red pins representing cases of COVID-19. Europe, the East of the Untied States, Japan and India are particularly busy.

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