Understanding the Map

[planemad]

Skills covered

• Field surveying
• Fundamental elements of a map: frame, orientation, scale and projection
• Filtering and heirarchy of information
• Designing effective map symbology
• Physical map prototyping
• Map testing

Exercise 1: A map is born

1. Create a map of 2D object in its environment. eg. Table in the room

• Individual output
• Size: A4 Paper
• Time: 10mins

2. Group activity: Order the maps in increasing order of 'map'
3. Discuss what elements led to the ordering

Exercise 2: Escaping flatland

1. Repeat Exercise 1 for a larger 3D space that is familiar to the group

• Individual output
• Size: A3 Tracing paper
• Time: 1 hr

2. Group activity: Mount the maps (requires white background for the tracing paper). Identify the map elements that help make a strong map
   3.. Identify the boundary, orientation, scale and projection
3. Discuss what elements works best to represent the space from the options.

Exercise 3: Map in the field

1. Build on Exercise 2 to create a map to help a visitor navigate the space. As a group, fix the orientation and boundary of the map that works best. Decide the most important points to locate on the map. Decide the physical location where the map will be mounted and tested.
2. Discuss a testing framework to test the effectiveness of the map

• Individual/group output
• Size: A4 size, any paper medium
• Time: 2 hr

Exercise 4: Designing the Map

1. Measure the baseline score for the field map in Exercise 3
2. Predefine target scores for a successful map
3. Iterate on the map design over two rounds (10 observations/round) to achieve the target score

Score parameters

• Frame and scale: Map discoverability in the space

  • Legibility of text size
  • Comprehensibility of icons/symbols

• Orientation

  • Ease of locating oneself on the map
  • Ease of finding a target location on the map

• Navigation

  • Ease of tracing a navigation path to target location on the map
  • Successful retracing of same path physically

• Time : 2 Days

Submission

• 30 min map (Individual)
• Final field map with two rounds of evaluation scores (Group)