Project 1 First Draft

* What is this map's sense of purpose? What features of the map make you think that?

The purpose appears to be as a handout guide to Lafayette and West Lafayette. It seems the goal is to inform the reader about various things in the community and where you can find them. The features of the map that make me think that would be the list of things to see/do and also the map on the other side.

* What is this map's audience? What features of the map make you think that?

My guess for the audience would be incoming freshman. Having a map like this would be extremely useful to a freshman. I remember when I first came here I had no idea what stores could be found around here let alone where they were. The lists of bus routes and map suggest to me that its for someone who is not from around here.

* What is this map's context? What features of the map make you think that?

The context could potentially be given out as a pamphlet at BGR to incoming freshmen. The fact that it is already broken up into three easy-folding sections suggests to me that this is the intent.

* What strategies does this map use? How do these strategies suit its sense of purpose, audience, or context?

The busses are color coded. It might be helpful to have them correspond as such on the map when they are added. the layout is easy to read and well organized. The ease-to-read helps the purpose. Audience members might be more likely to look at this if it is easy to read and has interesting colors/pictures.

* What will be this map's final medium? How does this medium suit its sense of purpose, audience, or context?

My guess would be that this map's final medium would be to have this thing put into mass production and handed out. Keeping it on a single two-sided sheet of paper would cut down on costs regarding giving these out. Its in everyones benefit to have something like this cost-effective.

* How is this map arranged? How does this arrangement suit its sense of purpose, audience, or context?

This map is arranged with text on one-side and the map on the other. I believe this is an effective way to achieve the purpose because if you had text on both sides or had split it up in someway - you would not be able to get a clear idea of the overall map of the community and that is indeed important.

* What is the strongest element of this data map and why?

I think the concept is a great idea. I think how much time you put into the map will make or break the project for you. If your map is interesting and attractive then this project should go well for you.

* What element of this data map needs the most improvement and why?

The clip art is a bit cheesy. This could potentially turn me off from looking at this. I don't think copyright issues would be a problem since this is essentially free marketing for those places. They really would have no reason to complain. Adding color to this will help drastically because as it is right now its a bit bland.

Since you don't have all of the map done yet, it's hard to answer some of the questions, but maybe these will help you anyways. The sense of purpose of the map is to help people get acquainted with the West Lafayette/Purdue University area. I assume this is so since Purdue University is the only thing labeled on the map so far and seems to be the central focus of the map. The audience for the map will most likely be freshman then being that the focus seems to be on helping people get acquainted with campus. The map is going to be a brochure to hand out to freshman so the context will be the freshman walking around reading it on there own. I think its a brochure because it says that at the top, but it also looks like it has guides where it will eventually be folded. The strategy is to use icons to represent areas of importance, such as the bus to help label the section about bus routes, and I think when the map is done, there may be lines of color to indicate certain bus routes. The medium is going to be print media as a brochure since thats what it says, and its also divided into three sections at the top. The arrangement is to have a combination of text and images that help the user identify where things are in Lafayette. You were worried about using logo's that might be a copyright infringement. I think that using Purdue's logo for a class project is perfectly acceptable. If you really wanted to be safe however, you could create your own icons or perhaps just a big "W" for Walmart, and then a legend that defines what these icons are. I think the best part of the map is, or hopefully will be, the lines of color on the map to indicate which buses go where. I would consider making some sort of icon to indicate where each stop is for the buses as well. I would say that my least favorite part of this map is the clip art on the front. I know you said you didn't want to use it, and I think its ok to use it as an icon on the map or even the bus on the bus route page, but I would try to make the front cover more professional looking. You can find all kinds of free stock photography online. Check out Morgue File as one example.