Accumulative cartography: a visual semiotic analysis of online mobile maps

Abstract

Abstract Dynamic maps featured in navigation applications draw on conventional cartographic practices for representing the urban environment, engaging drivers and users of public transportation in their efforts to reach their destinations. However, since these maps are produced within an economy of data accumulation, their construction of territory and user-friendly interface are designed to generate value. In this article, we explore what we define as accumulative cartography—mapping designed for the accumulation of data and capital—by developing a semiotic walk-through method for analyzing dynamic maps. Our visual semiotic analysis of Waze, Moovit, and Gett reveals that their maps are personalized, centering on the user; they commodify space, aiming to promote their specific business models; and they are preoccupied with time. We suggest that in contrast to printed maps, dynamic maps don’t provide users with the information required for navigation but instead navigate algorithmically for them, while accumulating their information.