i202 Fall 2010 School of Information, UC Berkeley

Maps. Most people think of them as a means of a getting us from Point A to Point B, but this article discusses how they have become more than a tool that keeps us from getting lost. In the not so distant past, we relied on paper maps that, for the most part, provided the user with a consistent visual vocabulary to determine exactly how to get from Point A to Point B. But as GPS units have evolved technologically along with their visual complexity, biases have begun to affect the usefulness of maps.

As navigational systems have become a commonplace feature included in cheap cars, luxury carmakers have had to find alternative ways to maintain their category distinction. Many of them have added sophisticated visual features that align with their brand, which may be to the greater detriment of safety. As GPS designers make decisions about the perspective of the map, the typefaces being used and the voice options, they are in effect creating a fictional reality that draws the viewer into believing that this imaginary world is real. Users often forget the fallibility, such as software issues and outdated maps, of these navigational systems. The author equates navigation with trust, and he discusses its evolution over time. In the early days of navigational systems, the problem was gaining the user's trust, whereas nowadays, users have become too reliant on their GPS systems. He cites this article as an example of how users nowadays have begun to blindly follow every move and turn dictated by the GPS without paying attention to the real dirt and signs outside of their vehicles. Blaming navigational devices for human error has only begun, but it will be interesting to see how "fault" will be classified.

Should we go back to the days of simple line-drawn maps, or is there a better way to organize and visualize the information that depicts the lay-of-the-land? Have we just gone too far in allowing technological advancements to distract users from the original purpose of getting us from Point A to Point B? When does creating a visualization of data move from a purely factual representation to one that is tainted with bias?

http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-road-to-know-where-design-for-navigation

http://www.slate.com/id/2256493/pagenum/all/#p2