Mapping - A New Way of Looking

Although we looked at many interesting (some incredible) maps in class this week I would definitely say my favourite was the Hitotoki maps. The second runner up would probably be the Highrise project. First, I have to say I am not at all computer savvy and spend as little time on them as possible so, this "World of Maps" is completely new to me. Although I enjoyed all of the maps we looked at I think the reason these two were so appealing to me was because I'm very visual, and I learn and retain information best when I can look at somthing. One of my favourite things to do when I'm traveling or weighting for someone is to people watch, which I could do for hours. The classic part of the Hitotoki map gave me a sense of being in another place and sitting and watching. I liked how obvious the beauty was in the simplest things. I also loved the stories that were included with each image, it made me feel like I was experiencing the place in a very real way. Someone mentioned this in class today, she expained how we tend to be focused on schedules and such when we are traveling and this map allowed me to grasp the essence of the city without being consumed by time or my own environment. The Highrise project had a similar effect, maybe even more-so because it gives the viewer a 360 degree view of a completely foreign environment. What was most interesting about this project was that it focused on the lives of regular people, which I think allowed for a more realistic view of the location.

Now that I've been introduced to a variety of different kinds of maps the thought of mapping Edmonton doesn't terrify me as much, although, I still think I need to find a new way of looking at this city in order to map it in a way that would intrigue others the way the Hitotoki maps and the Highrise project did for me.