Part 1: Experimental Map

Visual interface board with short stories of specific locations 

Instead of having an ordinary map where you see your position and outlined places and roads, another way to guide you in a certain situation could be an interactive display in public locations; One display where the user can push on a specific area he/she wants to go – herafter the big screen will show a short guided film how to get there, from your specific location. Beside the visual aspect also sounds (music, talk, traffic etc) which is characteristic to the place will be a part of this experimental map.

Another way of using this interactive map could be that the specific area buttoms will connect to existing cameras in the areas, so that the person can see how the specific place look like in real time. This could include sound as well.

The last variation could be that people who agree to be a part of an community is connected to these kind of displays. In this way using smart phones they can share recorded video clips in real time to these display so other people know what happens/how people feel at that specific location on the given time as the video will capture that specific person’s impression of a place.

Afteer Reading

Annette Kim: Seen and unseen: Ho Chi  Minh City’s sidewalk life

The author Annette Kim covers how sidewalks can have different understandings, both in a physical- and in a spatial manner. In a research stage you need to keep this in mind as it can have a big influence on the design success afterwards.

An important topic in the article is the question about legitimacy, dependent on both culture, economics, social arena, actors etc. Here it is important to know that you need to be aware of the aspects and how big influence they have individually according to the specific case.

Hereby sidewalks is also an example on how you need to understand the heterogen network which has an influence of sidewalks. In other words you need as designer to actively include both the physical, social, and spatial interrelations which affect how people needs and the impact on different groups of people.

Another important point of view which I noticed during the reading was the discussion about tourist view when you do field studies in a new situation/or arena an how it affect the data as this can affect my own work in a different culture. From my perspective it is both an advantage and disadvantage as I believe it can trigger your curiosity more than in an “every day situation” but on the other you might get the wrong meaning of some signs that you notice. Therefore, I believe you always need to consolidate your data with people in your team who are familiar in the research area.

On the same time the acticle covers another understanding of maps and outline a new way of using maps, which can tell more about a place than a ordinary map.

Questions: 

1. How do you determine which kind of map is most convienient for the given place/or people?

2. How do you balance what is cultural determined and what could be improved by regulating behaviour through the design?