| SOD | GIGAMAPPING

Reinventing the Wheel

“Reinventing the wheel” has come up – especially when people compare gigamapping to mind-mapping. This made me ask what it means to reinvent the wheel, and what kind of wheel is gigamapping? People ask what differentiates SOD and gigamapping from other approaches and techniques such as service design, mind-mapping and rich picture in soft systems methodology. For each of those similar approaches and techniques, there are specific answers.  – Birger Sevaldson

The wheel is a very old invention, and it has been with us for such a long time that it has grown to have numerous connotations and uses. There are countless variations of the wheel, and new wheels are constantly invented.

It occurs to me that reinventing the wheel is a big achievement! Standing on giants’ shoulders is a central idea in science. We can only dream of making a fundamental invention; the idea of the new is relative because we always work in a pre-existing social and systemic context.

Realising this makes me feel honoured instead of slightly annoyed when thinking of reinventing the wheel and gigamapping in this case.

Wooden wheel image by Randal J, licensed under creative commons, edited by BS. Segway by Gawrish, licensed under creative commons. Gigamap wheel by Birger Sevaldson licensed under creative commons.

The gigamap can be thought of as reinventing the wheel
Antique tricycle is one way of reinventing the wheel
Segwaygreen is a modern way of reinventing the wheel

What kind of wheel is Gigamapping?

I briefly produced a draft of the elements included, merged and forged in gigamapping. Here is the first version, and there is much more to be mapped out in the next versions. But it is clear that gigamapping is not only about big information-rich maps but also about merging many different approaches, techniques and tools together.

Gigamapping is a multi-purpose all-terrain wheel that has the potential to take you to places you did not think existed.

more | SOD | GIGAMAPPING

Gigamap Exemplars

Gigamap Exemplars

These gigamap exemplars are organised into three main groups: content maps, functional maps, and structural maps. They are from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Chalmers Technical University and...

Sense Sharing

Sense Sharing

Gigamaps are about sharing a sense of complexity. If the team members have a diverging sense of the complexity of the task, this is a problem. The person who thinks it is a simple task will allocate far fewer resources to the project than the person who thinks it is a...

Related Approaches

Related Approaches

There are three related approaches that are derived from gigamapping: synthesis maps, layered scenario mapping, and metaphor maps. Common to them is that they are narrower framed than the gigamap and are more specialised towards a purpose. The gigamap is intentionally...

Layered Scenario Mapping

Layered Scenario Mapping

Layered scenario mapping is a technique used to gain insight into the ‘situation one designs for'. It is a systemic technique and emphasises presenting information in different layers going from an overview to very detailed information. The technique proposes a...

How to Gigamap

How to Gigamap

There are some useful rules of thumb for how to gigamap that have emerged through producing gigamaps and instructing students and professionals.

Gigamapping Discussion

Gigamapping Discussion

This gigamapping discussion is the transcript of an email exchange between George and Birger Sevaldson. The discussion was based on the map "Age-related Obesity Trends and Factors." Are there also ideas embedded in this complex visual structure that may be discovered...

Gigamaps are designed artefacts

Gigamaps are designed artefacts

Gigamaps are designed artefacts – they are not meant to be an accurate record of complex systems “out there.” When working with gigamapping, one works with information as a designer in a constructivist way.When gigamapping, the information is designed through several...