In my first design I was inspired by a timeline concept. I like how it looks and the colors seem to work well, but I don't see the point. The information just sits there with no explanation saying why it's important. This design lacks type hierarchy and a strong concept.

In the second, and final, design I wanted to incorporate the shape of the state and country, to give a visual idea of what they look like. I wanted to simplify and reduce the amount of information, and tell the viewer what the major differences were. What the first design was lacking, this design is not. This graphic has type hierarchy and a clear understanding of what  is being conveyed.