maps… in the wild!lessons from an exercise in popular cartography

Rob EdsallArizona State UniversityGeoFest 2007

the inspirationthe map diary: keep a journal of

every map you see in your

everyday lifeobserve, demonstrate how ubiquitous maps

arechallenge 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 wildfrom 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 assignmentgiven to Introduction to Cartography

studentsArizona 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 examplemap imagery in political rhetoric map imagery in political rhetoric

2004-072004-07 left-leaning left-leaning imageryimagery

globe: • as eco-icon• as satire of

globalization rhetoric

• as Gaia-mother icon

(Cosgrove 2002)

the example (cont.)map imagery in political rhetoric map imagery in political rhetoric

2004-072004-07 right-leaning right-leaning imageryimagery

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 - 2005

maps in the wild

maps in the wild

maps in the wild

robedsall@asu.edu