The impotence of maps, or deconstructing the deconstruction of their construction

Abstract

As mapmakers we are invested in the importance of our craft. We bemoan the tragic state of geographic and map literacy, and advocate better education. Names like Robinson, Harley, and Wood have asserted the great power of maps. Are we guilty of seeing everything as a nail because we make hammers? In this rhetorical presentation, I argue for humility in our endeavor, recognizing that many people simply do not need maps. They meet their way finding needs using other efficient, utilitarian skills and devices. Could we improve our map designs for those who do use maps by disregarding the (non-)needs of those who do not?