In 2029, San Franciscans are still tackling the homeless issue, but many people have taken to the skies in floating cities. Still street art is trying to build empathy amongst San Francisco residents in Hayes Valley, as this city was once in a worse state. The holographic art installation features imagery from the past shake people out of their own apathy towards homelessness.
Terrain: Memory
The art form will engrain itself in people’s memories, while also allowing viewers to select memories of what the old San Francisco was like. The homeless just want to be treated like human beings, and the powerful images are memories from the past showing what people actually think about homeless people. People viewing these memories will internalize these images in their own memories until they’re driven to do something about it.
Object: Event
The event is that now every time someone goes to eat at a high-end restaurant in Hayes Valley, they encounter these powerful images. It causes a stir. There are crowds gathered in front of it. People can’t help but look at what’s going on. Patricia’s Green in 2019 was underutilized as an open space. In 2029, Patricia’s Green has become a park with beautiful views of the cities in the sky that have changed the housing crisis. It is also center of social activism, especially for the homeless epidemic that’s affecting thousands in the city.
Mood: Serenity
In 2029, San Franciscans experience a serene moment. There’s hope that San Francisco will be the first city to eliminate homelessness.
Ray Hines has lived in Hayes Valley for over 30 years. He’s seen the place change over to the gentrified neighborhood that it is now. However, access to affordable food is still an issue. Most restaurants are high-end dining establishments, and the cheapest lunch place down the street offers $15 salads! Ray is on a budget and is struggling financially, so he needs to cook often at home. However, the closest grocery store is pretty far away and he doesn’t want to give up his coveted parking spot on the street. As a result, he has to traverse over hills and cross dangerous streets to get to the Safeway. As he is getting older and has bad joints, this is difficult for him to do. He arrives at the grocery store, and now has to worry about getting his groceries back.
A superblock or “citizen space” is the concept of repurposing streets currently occupied by vehicles within a nine block radius into mini-neighborhoods where pedestrians can freely walk around.The concept is taking off in Barcelona and other European cities. Road signs, bus routes, and other city infrastructure will need to be manipulated to accommodate the superblock. The superblock will create more accessible and public space that the city desperately needs. This would also increase the amount of green space in San Francisco.
There are many benefits of a superblock in the Hayes Valley area. Traffic is a really big issue in San Francisco. Based on a recent study, half of San Francisco’s congestion problem is caused by ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft. The width of the streets in Hayes Valley are already very thin. Two way traffic comes to a halt when a ridesharing service stops in the middle of the street. The extra congestion is also affecting air quality as well. San Francisco has seen fluctuating air quality from good to moderate on a weekly basis. Air pollutants may contribute to the leading causes of premature death in the city including ischemic heart disease; lung, bronchus, and tracheal cancers; cerebrovascular disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; hypertensive heart disease and lower respiratory infection. Air pollutants carry carcinogens that affect health negatively. Other issues superblocks can help solve are sedentary lifestyles and road accidents.
Open Market
As a result of the superblock, Hayes Valley will have more open space and therefore more opportunities to fill this space. These types of areas already exist around Patricia’s Green (the central park in the neighborhood) and are used for events such as fitness classes, craft fairs, and pop-ups for brands. Open air space has definitely made the neighborhood more unique, and there is an opportunity to use the space created by the superblock to provide an enriching experience for everyone.
Many of the businesses and events in Hayes Valley tend to cater to those who can afford them. Most notably, the lack of affordable dining in the area has made it difficult for the everyday person to partake in the exciting dining scene of the neighborhood. Furthermore, the areas around the neighborhood (in the Western Addition neighborhood) have become somewhat of a food desert, so access to food is also important in this regard.
Night Market in Chiang Mai. Photo courtesy of Paul Arps.
We believe an open market focused on food will serve as a socio-economic balancer. This concept is borrowed from the open markets of Southeast Asia, where rich and poor alike enjoy a bite to eat. Food stalls can be set-up in the pedestrian areas of the superblock where vendors can serve fresh meals daily. For those without easy access to fresh produce, a farmers market can be set up at some of these stalls as well. Taking a queue from the Heart of the City Farmer’s Market in nearby Civic Center, a nonprofit could also be established to provide more affordable produce for lower-income customers in this space. Ultimately the open market could provide a more casual neighborhood feel that allows people of all socio-economic backgrounds to come together through food.
Building Empathy for the Homeless
While Hayes Valley is now a gentrified neighborhood full of dining, entertainment, and residences, there are many homeless individuals who call this area home. This is partially due to its proximity to areas where social services are available in Civic Center. It is also a relatively safe area where the homeless can find rest and perhaps a helping hand in the form of donated food and money. However, due to the relative safety and affluence, these individuals unfortunately stick out more and are often targeted by those with less empathy for the poor.
There is a clear opportunity to build awareness to the homeless neighbors and create a more welcoming atmosphere. As our proposal includes creating more accessible open public space, this also creates more reasons to beautify the space through art displays with homelessness being a key component. So much of Hayes Valley, specifically in the park at Patricia’s Green features art installations; however, much of this art doesn’t have an underlying social context. Why not include a message for social good?
Clarion Alley in the Mission District
We cite immersive public art displays such as Clarion Alley in San Francisco’s Mission District as an influence. This is an alleyway accessible by pedestrians that covered entirely by murals. Most of the murals are commissioned by non-profits to bring awareness to a social issue. In this way, Hayes Valley art could be a more dynamic version of this while still retaining the cleaner artistic aesthetic of the neighborhood. For instance, instead of murals Hayes Valley could feature outdoor sculptures that tell the story of the neighborhood and build empathy for the homeless.
It’s Friday November 16th and the smoke in San Francisco is worse than it’s ever been. The Camp Fire rages to the North devastating entire towns, and here I am at Safeway complaining about the air quality. I am going to Tahoe this weekend to escape the city and celebrate Friendsgiving with my friends from Sofar Sounds. I am thinking about how I can observe this group further for my 281 project, as this organization is also the subject of my research; however, I decide to actually enjoy this weekend for once.
I’m really looking forward to my time in Tahoe, but first, I must deal with the smoke and the fact that I keep forgetting ingredients for my Friendsgiving dish! I had spent the day before gathering ingredients to cook a bacon and green bean dish as well as baking supplies for a cranberry dessert. Today I realize I forgot sugar, and I’m also not quite sure if the cabin has a baking pan. When Saturday rolls around, I find that there are PLENTY of sugar and baking pans, so I didn’t really have to sacrifice my lungs.
Don’t mind me, I’m just wearing the mask upside down…
As I walk to Safeway I snag a mask to shield myself from the smoke, but it turns out it actually has no filter. As a result, I still have a terrible feeling in my chest and I begin to feel more and more lethargic. I reach Safeway, dying a little bit, and search all the aisles for these supplies. Why is this specific Safeway so confusing and small? Will I actually find these items before I feel like I have to pass out?
I end up getting everything all right and make my way to Tahoe, each mile driven gets less and less hazy. In the end, I get a clear view of the lake and a great time with friends eating some amazing food.
Psychographic map of NoPa, Alamo Square, and Hayes Valley
I loved this exercise. From simply reading the directions, you would not realize how spontaneous and fun walking through a space can be. Arbritrary directions don’t mean anything, but when you’re on your journey and in context, you realize what direction lies ahead and have a heightened anticipation of what you’re about to observe. In a way this makes you more aware of your surroundings.
I needed to go home after meeting an artist at a cafe for my 281 interview. This location was in the NoPa neighborhood (“North of the Panhandle” park) which is on the other side of a hill from my home in Hayes Valley. I had no idea where these directions would take me– it could have lead me even further from my destination! In the end, the journey was quite enjoyable and it ended up only dropping me off three blocks from my home. At one point, I was surprised to see that a “Slight Left” took me into an ice cream shop, at which point I stopped in and got a scoop.
Drawing the map was a stylized abstraction of my journey. I found myself using different forms to simulate landmarks. For instance, when climbing up the hill in Alamo Square Park (home of the Full House houses), I found myself drawing slopes and stairs. It was a surprisingly creative feature that I did not play, but came organically as I “walked my pen” across sketch book.
Overall this activity is a great way to observe a space and map it in a way that is unplanned and organic. This is divergent thinking at its finest. I almost wish I would have employed something similar for my observations for the 281 project because I often times found myself converging on things and ignoring others that I may have discovered if I had been moving randomly through the space. I’ll try my best to incorporate such an interesting activity going forward.
I chose to create “Poop Maps” in Illustrator for this assignment. At the neighborhood level and street level, the poop emoji indicates areas where I have noticed unattended dog poop (or something else!). At the apartment level, this is related to where my roommate and I had discovered mouse poop during the “Great Mouse Crisis of October 2019”.
Neighborhood Level (Hayes Valley, San Francisco)
Street Level (Fell St. between Octavia St. and Gough St.)
Patricia’s Green in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood
Part 1
I live in Hayes Valley which is a popular, revitalized neighborhood contained in the corner of the larger Western Addition neighborhood in San Francisco. Its central point is Patricia’s Green, a small park and “town square”. On the surface this area is ideal– the park features unique art structures, people converse over artisan coffee, and shoppers and diners shuffle in and out of fancy restaurants and exclusive boutiques. However, this neighborhood is at the center of many clashing forces that differ from the picturesque Patricia’s Green.
In the shadow of the freeway, Hayes Valley in 1980 was a different place than it is today. Photo by David Glass.
Thirty years ago, U.S. Highway 101 ran straight through the neighborhood (not yet named Hayes Valley), which was a seedy area with drugs, prostitution, and gang activity. It also served as a division between the predominantly black Western Addition neighborhood and downtown. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook the Bay Area, and here in Hayes Valley, the freeway incurred structural damage eventually leading to its removal.
Over the next 30 years, gentrification took over the area where the freeway used to run. It has been accelerated recently due to its location in the city, the growth of the technology industry, and the development of the neighborhood as a prime dining and shopping location. Despite this, some vestiges of the old Hayes Valley still exist, and it is often times striking and sad to see the the juxtaposition of young and old, rich and poor, manufactured beauty and urban blight.
In the next section, I will discuss five forces shaping the gentrification of Hayes Valley. Many of these forces affect the original lower income residents and have caused displacement of the homeless in the area.
Terrain
The hills are extremely steep on the western end of Hayes Valley going up to Alamo Square
The first force affecting the area around Patricia’s Green is the terrain. While this has been around pre-gentrification, the neighborhood has manifested differently around the hills. As one may guess, Hayes Valley sits at the foot of a few hills. To the west is a large hill that leads up to Alamo Square– a quaint park where the Painted Ladies from the Full House opening are located. The hills are more residential and quiet, while the flatlands are home to more of an urban landscape. These flatter areas are the main stage for the clash of gentrification.
Here one will find the stark contrast between rich and poor. The hills are where the more well-off residents had built their housing historically. In the 1950s and 60s when the freeway was built, public housing was built on flatland in the shadow of the overpass. These buildings still exist, and many of the original residents still live there.
Some may also argue that the homeless, often too weak to walk up the hills find themselves settling on flatter ground. I’m not so sure about this, but the flattest, easternmost point of Hayes Valley lies closest to the Civic Center and Tenderloin neighborhoods, known for their tolerance for the homeless and access to social services.
Traffic
U.S. Highway 101 was a main driver in creating the seedy atmosphere of pre-gentrification Hayes Valley. Here traffic flowed above the neighborhood, which was merely passed over by travelers.
The Central Freeway snaking through Hayes Valley prior to the 1989 Lomo Prieta earthquake. Photo by the San Francisco Chronicle.
When the freeway was demolished, the highway had to flow directly into Octavia Blvd. (the main artery into Hayes Valley). Any traveler hoping to go west in San Francisco must exit here and the north/south running Octavia would “T” westward, flowing onto Fell St. (this major intersection is at the south end of Patricia’s Green). Anybody coming from the west takes Oak St. which feeds in Octavia. As a result, there is a lot of traffic on Octavia, Fell, and Oak. Since it sits at this intersection, Patricia’s Green is the epicenter for people traveling to and through Hayes Valley.
One may say that this location has also become desirable for commuters working in the South Bay, as Octavia St. flows into the 101. I’ll touch upon this later in the force of the “Technology Industry”.
Technology Industry
The Twitter Building is adjacent to Hayes Valley.
While tech has traditionally been associated with Silicon Valley to the south of the city, over the years San Francisco has become more ubiquitous with the technology industry. On the southeastern most border of Hayes Valley, there are two buildings on Market Street that house the headquarters for companies such as Twitter, Square, Uber, Thumbtack, and Nerdwallet. As mentioned previously, Hayes Valley has also served as an easy way to access the freeway down the peninsula. Companies such as Google have created bussing programs to provide free transportation down to their campuses, while still allowing employees to live in the city.
Affordable housing on the edge of Hayes Valley
As a result, many folks in the technology industry have chosen to reside in Hayes Valley. Many argue this influx of affluent young professionals has made the place extremely unaffordable to live. However, there are still pockets of affordable housing buildings and rent controlled apartments to the north. This part of Hayes Valley is more representative of the Western Addition neighborhood, which was the historically black neighborhood in the city. The effects of the tech industry have not seeped into this area yet, but new condos filled with techies loom just across Gough and Fulton Streets.
Dining, Shopping, and Entertainment Establishments
Over the years, Hayes Valley has become one of the most popular areas for diners and drinkers. While you would be hard pressed to find an old school restaurant or dive bar catering to the original Hayes Valley and Western Addition natives, there are a ton of high-end restaurants, specialty ice cream shops, and fancy cocktail/wine bars.
The Civic Center area borders the eastern end of Hayes Valley. Dining establishments in Hayes Valley would cater to government workers or patrons of the arts from Civic Center.
Establishments catering toward elites have been around for awhile here, despite the neighborhood’s previous reputation. This is due to the easternmost border– the Civic Center neighborhood. Government buildings, museums, and fine-arts theaters cluster to form a beautiful, Beau-Arts inspired campus. Businesses began to cater to the people who worked here or saw shows. For instance, some old establishments such as the Hayes Street Grill attract people attending an opera, ballet, symphony, or jazz concert.
The Fatted Calf is an artisan butcher shop next door to my house.
To capitalize on business, newer restaurants started to pop up. Over the years, more and more have set their stake in Hayes Valley, which hosts the largest concentration of acclaimed establishments in the city. Now trendy restaurants and bars cater to younger folks such as the pseudo-fast casual Souvla, homemade pasta joint A Mano, and Bavarian/Industrial inspired Biergarten. There are also four artisan ice cream shops within a one block radius from Patricia’s Green. If this isn’t illustrative of the neighborhood, I don’t know what is.
In addition to restaurants and bars, upscale boutiques line Hayes Street across three blocks, Patricia’s Green at the center. For those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Union Square’s traditional large retailers, Hayes Valley serves as a more enjoyable leisurely shopping experience for those with large enough wallets.
Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association Influence
A Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association meeting sign
This force is largely unseen, but it plays a part in nearly many of the forces previously mentioned. The Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association is an organization that works with developers, planners, and other parties to create the “ideal” neighborhood for its residents. The group has lauded themselves as one of inclusivity, recognizing the forces of gentrification. However, I am skeptical that they are doing much or can do much to make life better for all.
Paint splatters from a homeless man named John, who lives and creates art in the neighborhood.
To demonstrate what I mean, I cite its treatment of the homeless population here. On a positive note, HVNA has made it public that they want to promote a culture where rather than kicking the homeless off of the boutique and restaurant lined streets, they try to accommodate their needs. One homeless man with mental illness named John frequently walks into businesses. One merchant always gives him coffee and lets him sit outside of their business where he makes beautiful paintings and sells them to people outside. I am not sure if this is really a result of HVNA’s mission or simply the kindness of shop owners.
However, the association also promotes the safety of their neighborhood, getting increased police presence to patrol the area. I once saw a black man who was simply speaking to himself loudly, handcuffed in the middle of Patricia’s Green. It became apparent that a parkgoer felt uncomfortable and called the police, who were just around the corner. As there was no illegal activity, they let him go, but the man was extremely agitated, complaining about what the neighborhood had become. While this is an isolated incident, the fact that someone felt like they can call the cops on a man who appeared out of place, and that the police response was to take him down violently still burns an image in my mind.
In its attempts to create an improved version of their neighborhood, I wonder who the HVNA favors. In my opinion, it feels obligated to include inclusivity in its mission, but the changes over the past year under the association have allowed for more condos, upscale restaurants and shops, and open park spaces, which transformed the neighborhood drastically in favor of full gentrification.
Conclusion
I have to admit that I initially moved to an apartment near Patricia’s Green because of how delightful it seemed on the surface. However, I recognize the pressure that these forces place upon those who are less fortunate. Gentrification is evident across San Francisco, but in this landlocked neighborhood in one of the busiest areas of the city, it is even more drastic. I one day hope to move to a neighborhood that is truly more inclusive.
Part 2
Terrain
Yellow represents intense elevation.
Traffic and Tech Industry’s transportation
The main thoroughfares going through Hayes Valley are also integral routes for buses that transport tech employees to their headquarters in Silicon Valley.
Dining, Shopping, and Entertainment Establishments + Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association Influence
Orange establishments represent restaurants, retail stores, and entertainment venues. Gray establishments represents residences. Blue establishments also represent residences but more specifically indicate public housing.
Part 3/Final
I evolved my forces over time to be better represented on the map. “Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association Influence” was a little nebulous, but ultimately I created buckets to better show the disparity in housing in this area. Further, “Traffic” includes “Tech Industry” influence as many of these roads serve as routes to Silicon Valley.
Click here for a higher resolution version hosted on Google Drive.
While I wrote about the Archie’s Press Portland map for the “Histories” assignment, I will use this post to expand on more design principles used to visually organize information on the map. I find this map extremely unique due to it’s extremely abstracted representation of the city. Despite this simplification, the design decisions are very deliberate in organizing the city by how native Portlanders view it and representing their conceptual model in a very unique and beautiful way.
Contour Bias
Portland is not a circular city– the designer of the Archie’s Press map smoothed and rounded its borders to create a circle.
This first principle speaks to the designer’s decision to abstract the borders of Portland and turn the city and its neighborhoods into a perfect circular shapes. According to the principle of contour bias, “people prefer objects with contoured surfaces over objects with sharp angles or pointed features” (Tara Suan’s Post on Contour Bias). As this map is decorative, one may argue that its circular figure is more inviting and pleasing to view on the wall than one where Portland’s jagged borders are represented in detail. I personally find the the circular shape to be extremely unique– it was the first thing that caught my eye among the quirky gifts of a SE Portland gift shop.
Hierarchy
SE Portland as a “slice of the pie”. Portlanders use a quadrant system to organize neighborhoods and landmarks.
While the map’s circular form is visually pleasing and interesting, it also helps to organize the city into different “slices” like a pie. Each slice is representative of a directional quadrant– Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), Northwest (NW), Southwest (SW). Native Portlanders actually use these directions when describing the locations of things in their city, and this hierarchy represented by slices helps organize their city into “simple and visual structures” (Daniel Lau’s Post on Hierarchy).
Highlighting
Downtown Portland is highlighted in teal-blue, but does not entirely distract from the sub-neighborhoods within it nor the details outside of it.
The Archie’s Press Portland map uses a bold, teal-blue circle to designate downtown and call attention to “this specific area of content” (Joseph Hornig’s Post on Highlighting). Downtown is typically the center of activity in cities, and maps often times provide expanded detail for these areas. This is done here uniquely with the simple and striking use of color– we’re drawn to this area immediately. However, it does not clash with the other elements as its color is consistent with the rest of the map.
I spend the most time sitting on my office chair at Old Navy HQ. It is a standard black swivel chair with adjustable height, reclining settings, and arm rests. The black seat with silver base is fitting for a more professional setting; however, much of our building contains a colorfulness that exudes the fun and playfulness of Old Navy’s brand. From a comfort perspective, the seat is pleasant and the backrest provides good lumbar suport due to the flexible rods that keep you upright, while contouring to the shape of your back. The adjustable settings work just fine providing a preferred height for the seat and armrest as well as angle of recline for the backrest. Overall it’s a very functional piece that does not embody the playfulness of our workplace.
Home Desk Chair
The desk chair in my bedroom is an Armen Living Summer Modern Chair In Green Fabric and Walnut Wood, which I bought from Amazon.com. Its Mid-century Modern form is reminiscent of Eames and fits well with the rest of my modern furniture in my room. The green cushion also plays well with some of the colorful accents in my room (e.g. bright orange clock and color gradient-ordered books in my book case). From a comfort perspective, the curved seat and armrest works well for someone my height; however, it is not adjustable and could be different for someone shorter or taller. The base does not allow for movement, so in order to move the chair, I must stand up and pick it up.
One interesting thing about the chair is that my girlfriend and I often place belongings on it. This is due to the lack of space in my tiny room. Also, its spacious, bowl-like shape allows for clothes to be hung on multiple sides of the chair and for items to be placed in the seat. I realize this wasn’t it’s intended function, but it serves well to hold things.
Overall, this chair is a beautiful piece of furniture that I purchased solely for aesthetics, although it’s actually pretty comfortable despite it’s limited function. It also serves an unintended purpose in my household, making it extremely useful in other ways.
Dining Room Chair
As my room is quite cramped, I don’t often work at my desk. Instead, I sit at the living/dining room table and study. This standard dining room chair came with the apartment and boasts little in terms of additional features. The seat has a firm cushion, and the vertical slat backing keeps me upright but does not provide much comfort. There are no armrests and the base is also stationary. There isn’t much to say about this chair, and I only use it in lieu of having a better study area in my tiny apartment. In fact, writing this reflection makes me realize that a good solution to my lack of good seating is to move to a bigger place!
Bike seat
While not a chair per se, I do sit on this object every work day on my commute and also for leisure on the weekend. This is the standard seat that comes with my Public V7 commuter bike. The pleather seat fits well with the green and chrome frame of this exquisitely designed bike. The seat’s material does not absorb moisture and its cushion is very comfortable with a hint of firmness. You can tell that this seat and every detail of the bike was built for commuter comfort rather than performance.
In fact, Rob Forbes, the founder of Public Bikes, was also founder of furniture company Design Within Reach, which is owned by Herman Miller (manufacturer of modernist designs such as the original Eames Lounge Chair). In this video, you can see the care he takes to ensure Public Bikes are accessible to all types of riders, while also being uniquely beautiful pieces in their own right.
An object that I love is my Topo Designs Klettersack. I have been using this backpack for over three years almost everyday– to work, to travel, and on-the-go during the weekends. I was initially drawn to it for its mountaineer-inspired look, but fell in love for how its form is a product of its functional design.
The backpack has three main storage areas and there is visibility to each, their function revealed simply by looking at the object:
A “dopp kit” sized compartment has the only exterior facing zipper. This compartment is for smaller objects, but is deceptively large.
Two side pockets afford themselves to holding more portable, easy to access items while you’re on the go such as water bottles, umbrellas, and even my bike lock.
A large compartment comprises the rest of the backpack and is accessible by unclipping the “dopp kit”, flipping it over, and expanding the opening using a drawstring mechanism.
Drawstring and cinch closure opening
Nice red-colored accents on the zipper and drawstring contrast the dark tones of the bag and signify a means to access the contents of the bag. The drawstring is particularly fun and novel, and while this mechanism isn’t a common feature of many backpacks, physical constraints outline how it can be opened. Once the dopp kit is released via clips and flipped over (a less fun interaction), the cinch closure opening to the main compartment is revealed. A toggle runs down the drawstring which serves as a track, and loosens the opening.
Yellow interior is accented with black to signify other storage.
The inside of the bag of the bag is also unique as it bright yellow. However, this color serves as a feature to make objects easier for people to see. Typically the insides of bags are dark and individuals have to fumble around in order to obtain the desired object. The yellow sharply contrasts with most objects contained within. Additionally, there is consistency between the interior of the main container and the Dopp kit, which again signals that the color decision is intentional. Black accents amongst the yellow interior serve as signifiers for further storage inside this compartment– a laptop sleeve and a smaller compartment for items such as papers or pencils.
The klettersack with some exterior cargo
Further, items such as blankets or jackets can be fastened to the klettersack by placing the item in between the dopp kit and the rest of the bag, clipping it together, and tightening the straps. This is most definitely another novel feature, that I like to use when hiking outdoors or even taking a blanket to a park picnic in the city.
Object I Hate: 1960s Pentax Spotmatic (At least certain parts of it…)
I must caveat that I actually love my 1960s Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic from an aesthetic perspective (its form and also the ability to create beautiful pictures). However, I absolutely hate its lack of learnability and the breakdown that often occurs with the “film advance” mechanism. This is largely a problem of another era and due to limitations in technology during this time, but my love for vintage cameras causes me to put up with the frustration.
Admittedly when I first started using film cameras, my conceptual model of how they worked was built upon the currently more common digital understanding. In order to build a new conceptual model, I observed the object. Unfortunately visibility to the entire system when film is loaded is not available as most of the “advance mechanism” must be hidden behind a closed camera door so as to not expose the roll. I had to really observe the inside of the system before loading any film to understand how it operates. Learnability is clearly not valued by the designers here, and unless you have been taught how to do this by someone, it’s really not easy to figure out on first use.
Here’s what the user is supposed to know about how it works, but can only figure out once the camera is open:
A lever is the only visible part of the film advance mechanism
A film canister is loaded into a chamber, and film is spooled through the “advance mechanism”. A lever on the outside of the camera is used to advance a frame from the canister to be exposed to an image by the user pressing a button. The lever must be pulled again for the frame to be transported to a storage area. As pictures are taken, exposed frames sit in the storage area until the roll is respooled back into the canister to be developed.
Further frustration relates to the times when a breakdown in the system occurs– the advance mechanism sometimes gets misaligned with the film and does not advance the roll any further. In this case, two scenarios occur:
Feedback is provided signifying a breakdown through a physical constraint (the lever gets stuck). There is no way to fix this without opening the camera and exposing the film to light. This is directly in opposition to Don Norman’s attitude on errors, as it completely punishes the user for trying to fix the breakdown.
Faulty feedback is provided when the lever can be rotated but the film does not actually advance. In this way, the user doesn’t even know there was a breakdown.
In the end, it’s quite difficult to understand how to operate something when half the system is hidden to the user. Further, it’s a crapshoot whether the system works as intended or you end up exposing all your film.
The Archie’s Press Portland map created by designer and inventor Archie Archambault provides a simple and clever way to explain the city. While he has created a series of simplified maps, there are three design choices unique to the Portland map that make this a treasure (and the only souvenir I purchased during my trip!). These decisions highlight the city’s conceptual model in interesting ways.
1. The circular shape to denote boundaries and outline the “Quadrant” conceptual model
Portland has no defining characteristics other than the Columbia River on its Northern boundary. As a result, Archie simplified this and created one large circle that contains the city. This becomes even more clever once you take into account the conceptual model native Portlanders use to describe where things are. They consider Portland to be a quadrant system with the streets Martin Luther King Blvd and Burnside St. as the intersection that divides the city into four parts. This is not a precise center point, but this design decision simplifies the viewer into thinking there is symmetry in the design of the city. The four main areas are highlighted as a result— NE, SE, NW, and SW.
Neighborhoods are also designated within the city as smaller circles, again simplifying the boundaries. The size of the circle corresponds to the area of the neighborhood. Further, the designer colored “Downtown” in blue. Many Portlanders also describe where things are in relation to Downtown, so this is another area to highlight in their conceptual model of the city.
2. The inclusion of the Wilamette River as an exception to the conceptual model
The only natural feature highlighted on the map is that of the Wilamette River, which comes in from the northwest edge of the map traveling southeast. At a point close to the eastern-most edge of Downtown, the line changes directions and travels straight south.
While the river isn’t actually this straight, its simplified path provides an explanation for one potentially confusing exception to the quadrant rule. There is a “slice of the pie” labeled “N” for North Portland, which is bounded by the Wilamette River and Martin Luther King Blvd. While this is technically part of the NW quadrant, Portlanders consider this to be a different area than true NW, which is mainly Downtown and the large public space of Forest Park.
3. The expanded detail in NE and SE
Lastly, a series of horizontal lines serve as important roads in NE and SE Portland. Only calling out the major roads here is an interesting design decision. It may stem from the fact that NE and SE are objectively the “hot places to be”. This is the Portland of hipsters, restaurants, and artisan shops that many outsiders believe to be the true Portland. I spent most of my visiting time here, so it certainly is true for me. I assume end-users include tourists like me, so the designer may have expanded detail to focus on areas the user might find most interesting.
My Hot Take
I love this map not just for its simplicity and unique abstracted design, but because it actually outlines the conceptual model of Portland in an extremely simple way. To quote Don Norman, “Precision, accuracy, and completeness of knowledge are seldom required.” In my experience traveling, if you have the general rules of the city understood, you probably know it better than if you were to blindly read a map.
