Enforcement: This map is meant to represent the enforcer of rules and order in the space. I represented their view and zone of control using the shaded zones.
Transit: I represented the arrows and colors to represent transit traffic in the Watergarden. The Metro station, the pick-up roundabout both draw and shape the space.
Time: I represented how people use the during different times of the day. In the morning people are flowing into the center, similarly evening hour shape the outflow of people and bikes. One thing I regret missing writing this reflection was the flow of people during lunch to restaurant row.
Branding: The “Watergarden” charges a premium and relies on branding to show itself to be a modern working space. Prominent concrete signs anchor the outer edges marking the space, and the stand-up signs attempt to keep and engage workers and passerby in the area.
Controlled Nature or Controlling Nature: You can see the concrete lines surrounds and controls the spread of greenery. Originally, the Watergarden central plaza was mostly water, following a renovation and re-branding most of the space was paved over.
Combined Map – I combined all my map on this image, it looks a little messy and slightly ugly. Though it does all come together, you can see the ways forces interact and inform one another.
Great work John! I appreciate your choice of forces and the representations of those forces on the map. I especially like the enforced one. It shows the direction of the view, sizes clearly–this map conveys the site you chose is very secured!
I also like your color choices on the legend with Transit map. For example for the morning flows you chose yellow, orange and red. Do the colors represent the different part of the morning? Or something else?
This is a great work!
When I first saw the forces you picked, I was wondering how you could express it on the map. That is why the forces were amazing, but I felt these were a little conceptual. It seems to represent wonderfully. I think the “transit” force is insightful because I can figure out daily human routine easily: In the morning, people have a specific destination, but, in the evening – people looking around the area.
What do you think is the most interactive the forces on your map?
John, nifty maps! I really liked the enforcer one. Next time I plan a heist, you can draw the get-away plans… It took me the longest to grasp the time force map. I think the dots are showing paths of where people walk around at different times? Or is that where they meet/talk/visit when they take a meal (you used the word lunch, not noon or midday)? I’d be interested in seeing what types of activities happen at those times.
Overall Feedback:
– Great use of bright colors to stand out from the base layer.
– Good use of familiar metaphors.
Recommendations:
– Improve the legends’ color contrast. The red in the enforcement legends is unclear because it’s a transparent icon on top of a transparent background. Try using white instead.
– The dots in the Timing Map look inconsistent. Do the different sizes mean different things?
– Consider changing the font to improve readability.
Your forces are fantastic. Time, specifically, is a very interesting one I had not considered. I imagine it would impact every one of our own maps.
Nice work on combining them into a single map. That’s a tough exercise to complete while retaining all the information _and_ legibility.