leaving home, post_human preflight check:
- google maps’ suggested route
- check official subway map to confirm that its the best route
- leave a destination map open on phone’s map app (with location disabled for privacy)
- saved image of the graphical subway map
rerouting due to delays, “does the q train go anywhere relevant to this expedition?”
check saved subway map image to confirm.
ask other passengers? only if battery is dead / no time to calculate
above ground - check google map app / station maps to reorient
confirm using directionality / antidirectionality of streets
wonder, would a wayfinding service help? why not use gps navigation instructions for pedestrian routing?
the process of wayfinding involves inefficiencies, mistakes, problem-solving and critical thinking. one is not delivered to the destination as an empty package - one has an idea of how we got here, even if it’s not the “here” we were expecting.
are these cognitive connections and inefficiencies only necessary for a world of imperfect connectivity?
is wayfinding a noble pursuit or acculturated behavioral relic?