maps… in the wild! lessons from an exercise in popular cartography Rob Edsall Arizona State University GeoFest 2007

the inspiration the map diary: keep a journal of every map you see in your everyday life observe, demonstrate how ubiquitous maps are challenge your own and others’ definitions of “map”

the modification photo-essay of maps as images and icons document maps that do not serve the most “typical” purposes of maps: - navigate - locate - display spatial distribution

maps in the wild from HCI community “cognition in the wild”: examining how people function in their natural habitat (Hutchins 1996) what is the natural habitat of maps? not just glove compartments, textbooks, atlases, GIS screens…

the assignment given to Introduction to Cartography students Arizona State students seem to all own, or have access to, digital cameras or camera cell phones. task: photograph, upload, document, explain, and comment about maps found “in the wild.” post on course discussion board or on public web site

the postings

the discussions categorization of maps in the wild purposes of maps in the wild creation of a “field guide” to maps in the wild

the example map imagery in political rhetoric left-leaning imagery globe: as eco-icon as satire of globalization rhetoric as Gaia-mother icon (Cosgrove 2002)

the example (cont.) map imagery in political rhetoric right-leaning imagery nation: outline or silhouette map of the US, lower 48 typically Lambert Conformal Conic or similar projection only line work present is outline (no interior boundaries) uniformity of interior – single color or symbol

the comments post-course evaluations: “I see maps wherever I go now. It’s like a disease. You’ve turned me into a map geek with that Maps in the Wild thing…” “MITW got me really thinking about the power of maps.”

Maps in the Wild… adds a field component to a traditionally technical lab course integrates popular culture and cartography allows for a painless and empirical introduction to (relatively) advanced critical discourse about maps encourages critical thinking provides new “lens” through which they can observe their world the “lessons”: what MITW does

maps in the wild

maps in the wild

maps in the wild