Mapping the Cultural Buzz: How Cool is that?
For my map critique I decided to look at a mapping project called, “The Geography of Buzz”. This project was conducted by two students from the University of Columbia, Elizabeth Curid and Sarah Williams, using geographic information systems (GIS) – a tool that is commonly used for mapping and geographically analyzing systematically collected information (Hillier). In order to begin, it is imperative that I explain the purpose of this project and the data-set behind it or else this map might only resemble a piece of art for one’s wall.
The Project Purpose
The buzz project was centralized around the cultural foundations of Los Angeles and New York City. The purpose of the project was to locate hot spots based on the frequency and draw of cultural happenings: film and television screenings, concerts, fashion shows, gallery and theater openings (RYZIK).
Methodology For the buzz project, snapshots from more than 6,000 events — 300,000 photos total — from Getty Images were categorized according to event type, controlled for overly celebrity-driven occasions and geo-tagged at the street level, a feature that helps to precisely pinpoint location-specific information (RYZIK). The researchers then conducted GIS and spatial statistics to analyze macro-geographical patterns (Curid & Williams).
Critique
This map is very visually appealing. Each portion of the map clearly identifies which cultural sector it is referring to with legible white headings on the stark black background. Each section identifiably depicts the shape of Manhattan within its grid lines and uses vibrant colours in combination with an infrared technique to show obvious variances in data findings.
While the layout and visual appeal of the map communicates attractiveness and clarity, there is a lot missing with regards to the context in which it the map is presented.
“This ‘hot spot’ map indicates areas where events take place more often relative to the rest of the city (Williams)”. This is a caption I would have really appreciated reading when I first came across the map. There is basically no readable or contextual information available on this map. There is no visible data set that allows the user to use interact with or understand the purpose of the map and draw conclusions from it. Only once the viewer conducts some extensive research into the project does it become clear what this map represents. For example, the results of the research tell that the buzziest areas in New York are around Lincoln and Rockefeller Centers (RYZIK). In reading this map, it seems extremely farfetched to reach such a conclusion. This record is a good example of a map that became too simplistic in terms of becoming a graphic design. This map needs its own tools and references in order to be useful to the viewer, or else it just becomes an arbitrary visual component.
Application
After conducting extensive research I was able to gain access to a 25-page document that included the map below:
This representation and format would have been more useful upon first glance. There is a clear title, subject, caption, scale and legend, which create context for the map. The information presented and the use of a singular colour creates a better feeling of balance in terms of information, visual representation and understanding of the subject. Here, there is an identifiable scale that allows the viewer to draw clear conclusions as to which areas of the city are more populated and to what their degree of popularity is on a relative scale. With this data available in plane sight, the priorities of information in relation to visual representation of the data are much more balanced and are complimentary of one another.
Prototype
If I were to recreate this map I would do two things differently. Firstly, if I were going to create a static representation of the data set I would prepare the final product in the more comprehensive format.
Ideally, and what I would like to do accomplish with my project in mapping the live music halls of Manhattan and their change over time, I would create an interactive version of this map within the space of a project archive. I would use an interface that allowed me to click on each hotspot and read about its location, its history and its current status within the social and cultural sphere accompanied by a photograph of the area. Furthermore, depending on what city or cultural sector I was interested in learning about, there would be a function that would allow me to change the base map and colour that would correspond with those on the static map. This way both representations are consistent with one another and provide accurate reference for the users.
Finally, this interactive interface would be made available within the published documents associated with the project. This way, if the user has any further inquiries, they have immediate access to additional resources instead of having to go elsewhere to find associated information.
Conclusion
What I realize now is that this project is not really centralized around mapping, even though its title reads, “Mapping the Cultural Buzz: How Cool is That?” accompanied by a picture of a graphically appealing map. One can only assume that this map is one of many in a larger project that has broader goals, however, the priorities of the project and data collection are unclear.
It is important to maintain consistency and understanding with regards to maps and visual representations of data-collection throughout a project. Right from the get-go, what seems to be the simplest and most fundamental feature of mapping, instituting a title, proves to be misleading.
While this map is extremely appealing to the creative eye, it does not clearly represent the researchers conclusions nor maximize the benefits of GIS technology.
Works Cited
Knowles, Anne K. "GIS and History." Placing History. Redlands, CA: ESPRI. 1-25. Print. Mattern, Shannon. "Map Critique Discussion." Urban Media Archaeology. New York, New York. 13 Oct. 2011. Lecture. Ryzik, Melena. "Mapping the Cultural Buzz: How Cool Is That?" The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 18 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.