At the beginning of April, we participated in the two-day intensive Spring School organized by Palacký University Olomouc. This online event provided an eye-opening exploration into the complex relationship between data visualization, trust, and misinformation in our digital age.
Key Learning Areas
Map Trust & Manipulation
How experts can manipulate maps and data for misleading political purposes
Cartographer Responsibility
The ethical obligations of cartographers and data visualizers
Eye Tracking Technology
Understanding how users can be misled through visual manipulation
Pulp Cartography
Psychological aspects of map usage and behavioral patterns
During the online presentations, we covered various topics, such as how much we can trust maps and how experts can manipulate maps and data so that they are visually believable, for example for various misleading political purposes. This also placed great emphasis on the responsibility of cartographers and data visualizers in map making.
Personal Insight
The discussion on pulp cartography and the psychological background of map usage was one of the most interesting topics for me. It completely transformed my perspective on maps and people's behavioral habits, examined through eye-tracking research.
The speakers also drew attention to how the vast amount of information on the Internet shows how easily users can be misled - for example, with the help of eye tracking technology. There was even more talk about the importance of pulp cartography and the psychological background of the use of maps, also based on the aspects examined by eye tracking.
In the practical part of the course, common mistakes in mapmaking were first presented, and then we learned how to fix them. We received simple yet effective tips on how to create more aesthetic, clear and informative maps. Finally, we closed with a timely topic: how to filter out fake news and misleading map content using artificial intelligence and user modeling.
Course Impact
This course not only provided professional knowledge, but also brought about a change in perspective. I will definitely be much more conscious in interpreting – and creating – maps in the future. I have already saved the book "How to Lie with Maps" by Mark Monmonier for later reading.