Atlas
Data Visualization
Atlas is an experimental tool for exploring interconnected datasets through a spatial, map-like interface. Instead of traditional tables and charts, users navigate data as a landscape — zooming, panning, and discovering clusters of related information.
Role
Product Designer
Collaborators
James Liu
Duration
2023 - 2024
Tools
Figma
D3.js
TypeScript
Spatial Metaphor
Traditional data tools force users into rigid structures — rows, columns, hierarchies. Atlas breaks free by treating data points as locations in a navigable space, where proximity implies relationship.
Interaction Design
The core interaction model borrows from digital maps: pinch to zoom reveals more detail, pan to explore adjacent clusters, and tap to drill into individual data points.
Drag the slider to compare the evolution from wireframe to final interface:
Wireframe
Final UI
Atlas interface — from wireframe to polished spatial data view
Visual System
The visual system uses elevation, blur, and color temperature to encode data density and recency. Hot zones glow warmer, sparse regions fade to cool grays.