John, a senior data and visuals editor at CNN, played a key role in creating a dot-density map depicting race and ethnicity in the US using data from the 2020 Census. Prepared to act swiftly upon the data release, John and his team utilized tools like Mapshaper and Mapbox to efficiently process and visualize the data, overcoming challenges such as census tracts extending into water and high population density areas causing data overflow in vector tiles. They developed scripts to automate processes, allowing for quick adjustments and aggregation of state data when the Census Bureau released data state-wise rather than nationally. The map's design was fine-tuned in Mapbox Studio, although it required significant trial and error, and audience feedback was incorporated to improve the visualization. Despite initial hiccups, the map was published within hours, garnering positive feedback and engagement, and setting the stage for future projects using detailed census data.