Interactive Maps

Near the end of this week’s reading, and the quarter’s, we find out about the modern era of graphic design and the interactive media available on computers. Interactive media has many benefits. With its ever changing and adaptable graphics capabilities, and keyboard and mouse controls, the computer allows information to be distributed in a nonlinear fashion. Unlike its predecessors like books and other printed media, the content of digital and interactive media can be easily updated to rapidly accommodate changes in the information. This is all very beneficial when it comes to my area of graphic design expertise, maps. Printed maps allow very little interaction with the limited data that are printed on them originally and are very energy consuming when it comes to updating the data they display. There are many kinds of interactive maps out there now that not only allow the user a to have a comprehensive learning experience, but also are very easy to keep up to date. I will introduce a few below and explain myself more thoroughly. 

We are all familiar with a map used for navigation such as Google and Bing maps, and the original MapQuest, which have revolutionized getting directions to a restaurant or a friend’s party. I want talk about thematic maps though and how interactivity allows a better learning experience. We are probably all familiar with the recent election and viewing results on a map. The example below (top) from http://www.270towin.com/ allows the user to change the results by clicking on a state. Other online election maps allow you to click states and get even more in-depth statistic about the outcome (just search for election maps and you’ll find a million of them). These are examples of basic thematic maps, which display spatial data (election results by state). Another example below (bottom) is from (http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map/?ar_a=1 ) National Geographic. This website will allow the user to add different data to view in the map by clicking check boxes in the various categories to the left. I have displayed climate data for winter months, but there is much more like population and natural disasters to choose from—I encourage you all to check this one out.

 

Interactive maps can be very fun and informative for children especially. It’s like a little game they can learn from. This map of the Atlanta Zoo (http://play.vta.com/Zoo_Atlanta/Zoo_Atlanta_Map.htm) is not only very colorful and appealing but if you hover over the various animal exhibits a pop-up window displays information about the animals (below, bottom). You can also click the “Add it to my map” link in the window and an itinerary will be generated to help you plan your busy day at the zoo—ingenious!

Another thematic map some of you might be used to is a weather map, which helps viewer visualize actual rain, snow and wind patterns spatially. The weather person on television has been using these for decades, but now anyone with the internet can access them. This example below form the Weather Channel’s website (http://www.weather.com/weather/map/interactive/USCA0993:1), although just a static image, is an animated weather map. The user can pan or zoom to any location, click play and watch as the weather systems change. The data is constantly updated via broadband using various weather stations around the world, so the information is current no matter what time you’re viewing it. Something to note about the map is that it uses Bing maps as the base and interface functions, so the Weather Channel did not need to develop their own. Being able to access and embed these basic interactive map functions in any website is becoming increasingly available through major internet mapping companies. Businesses can now overlay their own data on these already made maps saving time and money but still utilizing this innovative graphic technology. Probably the most familiar case of this would be Yelp and being find the business or restaurants rated on their site through an embedded Google Map.