University of Twente Student Theses
Materiality in Cartography, A First Attempt to Evaluate its Usefulness
Londoño Jimenez, Manuela (2023) Materiality in Cartography, A First Attempt to Evaluate its Usefulness.
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| Abstract: | Materiality has gradually become a dimension of study in various fields. Social sciences have found in material culture a tool to study social relations. Cognitive sciences in the other hand, recognize material elements as agents in the cognitive process, under the concept of the embodied mind. Visual arts and design find in the use of materials a tool to shape human behavior, evoke emotions, and communicate messages. These fields are deeply intertwined with cartography and share with it the interest in processes as human cognition, communication techniques. Although the use of materials in cartography has been defined through a practical lens, there has been a growing interest in exploring other sensory dimensions through the materiality of maps. The aim of this study was to explore materiality in the cartographic process. A case study to be mapped and a conventional media map representing the topic were selected. Based on this, a material exploration process was conducted and two main materials were selected based on the symbolic relation to the topic and the physical characteristics convenient from a cartographic design perspective. A comparative user study was conducted with 23 participants who interacted with the conventional media map printed on paper and the alternative media map. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected to study the differences in the interaction and perspective of the participants towards both maps. A statistical analysis concluded that there was a statistically significant difference in 3 of the 6 comparison items. In addition, qualitative insights provided a broader understanding of the motivations behind the similarities and differences perceived by the users. The study provides a basis for exploring the possibilities of materials in cartography, in the mapper’s experience, in the enhancement of messages in map communication, and in the experience and cognitive process of map-user interaction. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ITC: Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation |
| Subject: | 02 science and culture in general |
| Programme: | Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation MSc (75014) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/97487 |
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