due at 12pm on 9/25
Intro / Planning and strategizing how you want your map (or visual layout) to look prior to doing anything on the computer is an essential step to making elegant, logical, and attractive maps. Likewise, the ability and willingness to engage in critical dialogues, both with your work and that of others, is an absolute necessity for the successful development of design sensitivities. This assignment will challenge you to do both things: A, plan a map/layout, and B, critique a map/layout.
Part A / You are given a list of necessary elements for a map layout. Your task is to arrange them in a logical, efficient, and overall aesthetically-pleasing manner on a piece of U.S. letter-sized paper (8.5×11) in portrait orientation. Every element should have a box drawn around it that approximates the amount of space it should/would occupy in the layout (see example). Additionally, please indicate how each element ranks in the overall visual hierarchy of the layout by putting a number in the top right hand corner of the element’s bounding-box.
Scenario
You have been asked to create the wireframe template (layout) for a project called Personal Geographies. Personal Geographies is a mapping project that provides a synoptic history of someone’s life. A few elements include: a photo of the person; a map denoting the geographic location of either, a place they have lived, or a place where they currently live. Descriptive text should provide some kind of narrative about the person’s life. Where did they come from? Where do they live now? What was the series of events that spurred their relocation between points A and B?
Tasks
- Create basic layout for all necessary map elements
- Identify the visual hierarchy of these elements by placing a number (1-8, 1 being the most important) in the upper right hand corner of the bounding box.
Necessary Layout Elements
- Legend
- Photo (headshot)
- Descriptive text
- North arrow
- Sources
- Title
- Scale bar
- Map image
Example
Part B / For this part of the assignment students are asked find a map they like, either online or in a book. This map must be from a legitimate source such as a newspaper, magazine, or academic article, etc. (Hint >> check out the Resources page for links to sites where you might locate such a map.) Copy and paste the map image into a word-processing program and compose a one paragraph response that addresses the following question: Is this an effective or ineffective map? Why or why not?
Students should begin their paragraph by stating the name of the map, the author, where it came from (i.e. source), and what it depicts. Students should then think critically about the aforementioned question and craft a response using complete sentences, proper grammar, and absolutely no typos! Responses must be a minimum of one paragraph in length.
Deliverables /
- Part A, a wireframe template for the Personal Geographies project on one piece of U.S. letter-sized paper. Bring physical copy to class #3 on 9/25.
Part B, a typed, one-paragraph critical response to a map of your choice. Please include the map in the document. Save as a PDF with the proper naming convention and put into the A2 folder on Google Drive by 12pm on 9/25.
