Mapping
Mapping refers to the relationship between controls and their effects in the world. It is believed that all artifacts have the need for a type of mapping between controls and effects whether the device is a car, power plant, or the cockpit of an aircraft. A good mapping example is the up and down arrows that are used to represent the up and down movement of the cursor on a computer keyboard (Pierce & Sharp, 2002). Let us view mapping from other points of view to include Value Stream Mapping methodology which is used for the enhancing and immersing independent from the field of application and mapping using technology to enhance project operations.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is viewed as a lean enterprise technique that is used to document, analyze, and to improve the flow of information thereby producing a product and/or service for a client via a work system. Business operates to increase revenue; however, the revenue end of the business cannot be accomplished without customer satisfaction VSM includes value adding, non-value adding as well as the supporting of activities deemed necessary in the creation of a product thereby creating customer satisfaction (Kuhlang, Kuhlang, Sunk, & Hrach, 2014). The process is simple while being effective and allows the gaining of a universal overview of the condition of the value streams within an organization. With current analysis being consistently performed, an organization can see its current condition to evaluate the need for flow oriented target value streams that can enrich business operations. VSM allows for the entire operating time to be compared with the overall lead time.
The process of mapping can also be used for upgrading projects. As an example, a research project titled “Grassroots GIS” focused on the development of low cost mapping and publishing methods for slums and slum upgrading projects in Manila. Smartphones, collaborative mapping, and 3D visualization applications were used to support landscape architectural analysis enabling the designing of work in context urban poverty and urban informal settlements (Paar & Rekittke, 2011). Due to the fact that slum areas have not been surveyed, there is the need for design efforts that are usually expensive with sophisticated methods to replace the practical as well as simple instruments that will allow for fieldwork to be performed efficiently the first time without the need for a repeat performance. The mapping process allowed for focus on small designs of urban gardens contributing to a healthy environment with improved living conditions. The use of real world and virtual world combinations placed the design proposals and project areas on the Internet adding geographical details that led to three-dimensional identity with clear understanding of design ideas that would have otherwise been undetected (Paar & Rekittke, 2011). The project was completed successfully demonstrating the benefit of a successful process that was of benefit throughout the entire process.
Conclusion
The two examples mentioned above show the positive relationship with good mapping being a primary function of layout. The design concept is based upon the need for design concept constraints being determined based on the kind of user interaction that will need to take place. It is also important to note that the more visible the functions are the better the understanding for the individual using the device. In reliable mapping it is also necessary for the design interface to have similar operations using like elements for achieving like tasks. This creates consistency versus inconsistency thereby creating ease in usage of the device. Mapping is of benefit to an organization whether being used to control an electric window in an automobile, the keyboard of a computer to control placement of information on a document, to enhance lean enterprise for manufacturing processes, or to enable successful project completion.
References
Paar, P., & Rekittke, J. (2011). Low-cost mapping and publishing methods for landscape architectural analysis and design in slum-upgrading projects. Future Internet, 3(4), 228-247. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fi3040228
Preece, J., Rogers, Y., Sharp, H. (2002), Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, New York: Wiley, p.21
Kuhlang, P., Edtmayr, T., Sunk, A., & Hrach, M. (2014). Further development of value stream mapping to design work systems. IIE Annual Conference.Proceedings, , 107-116. Retrieved from https://login.ctu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ctu.idm.oclc.org/docview/1622299472?accountid=26967
