We present the design of the CO2 Pollution map, a web-based visualization that uses motion design techniques to assist users in interpreting semantic information about the data. We describe our motivations and inspirations, found in the fields of graphic and motion design, and present how free visual variables can be used to create an impression of what the data are about. We finish by reporting an early evaluation of the impact of the visualization, which we published in the form of a data journalism article.