Jacob Richardson MFA Collaborative Design Practicum 2014

My PDX

My PDX is a subjective mapping and photography project about the transportation habits of Portlanders. This project explores how people interact with their environment through transportation networks and how participatory subjective cartography could change their perspective of Portland. The map is a tool inspired by the concept of topophilia, our innate love of place shaped by memories and experiences. Users record daily transportation routes and significant happenings. They enhance their sense of place and strengthen their topophilia by spatializing the memories into a tangible artifact. This collection of personalized maps, reflections, and photographs creates portraits through transportation habits, revealing different versions and varieties of experiences of Portland. This is not a wayfinding project but rather mapping as an expression of geographical emotion.

The primary tool of My PDX is a minimalist base map of Portland, Oregon, screen-printed on TyVek. It has an intentional reduction in geographic cues; only unlabeled major roads and water features are included. Users of the map must orient themselves by either drawing on past experience or referencing another source. As a proof of concept, the map was sent to thirty-two participants who were asked to document and reflect on each trip they took within the city for a week. A color-coded key and markers were provided so the participants could annotate the paths of each transportation type they took. After a week of journaling, they had a personalized map of their transportation network. Photographs were taken of each participant and displayed with their completed map in an exhibition space in order to present the concept of portrait in a variety of media. Displaying the maps and photographs together allowed comparison between the completed maps, which broadened the impact of the project from the individual participants to an audience of viewers.

Winner of the 2014 Collaborative Design Department Award

Justine Robinson BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Natalie Zinovyev BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Maryam Shari'ati BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Rhonda Vanover MFA LRVS Thesis 2014

Brian Hutsebout MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Caitlin Sweet MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Edward Key MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Joey Edwards ACD MFA Practicum 2014

Leah Brottman MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Willow Harmer ACD MFA Practicum 2014

Morgan Carver BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2014

2014 CT+CR Thesis Works

Skylar Jessen BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Noell Olsen BFA Animated Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Mary Dahlke MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Tabitha Nikolai MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Amanda Zito BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Tara Morte BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Mei-loong Ratz BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Veronica Cordonnier BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Ronnie Ritchie BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

William Talbot BFA Sculpture Thesis Spring 2014

Justine Batten BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2014

Corey Koberna BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Hailey Skye Dehler BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Courtney Stephenson-Richman BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Aimee Flom BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

James Snowbarger BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Jason Dallam BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Sadie Soliman BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Alexandra Dougherty BFA Painting Thesis Spring 2014

Barbara Kenmille BFA Thesis Spring 2014

Kendal Hockin BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Emilie Skytta MFA Collaborative Design Practicum 2014

Peter Tichnell MFA Collaborative Design Practicum 2014

Jacob Richardson MFA Collaborative Design Practicum 2014

Lange Wei MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Meghan Chalmers-McDonald MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Stephanie Brachmann MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Rachel Wolf MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Richard York MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Sarah Abbott MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Jonathan Gann MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Jessica Spiess MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Thomas John Gamble MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Mark Palmen MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Lauren Seiffert MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Michael Horwitz MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Leif J. Lee MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Jill Sattler MFA LRVS Thesis 2014

Jeanne Roderick MFA LRVS Thesis 2014

Carter Pierce BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Isabelle Harada BFA Animated Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Rachel Hagara BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Micah Weber BFA Animated Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Shiela Laufer BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2014

Brianna Miller BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Hailey Rose Jones BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2014

Elizabeth Leon BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2014

Marissa Boone BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2014

Zoe Bullock BFA Video + Sound Thesis Spring 2014

Ximena Bedoya ACD MFA Practicum 2014

Stephanie Yu MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

John Dougherty MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Anya Roberts-Toney MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Mario Gallucci MFA Visual Studies Thesis 2014

Solita Harder-Montoya BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2014

Daniel Thompson BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Bryan Walker BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Stephanie McCollough BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2014

Laura Steves BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Cecilia Hamlin BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2014

Stephanie Benhaim BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2014

Dawn Nielson BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2014

Sage Howard BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Kelsey Iredale BFA Painting Thesis Spring 2014

Alexandria Carmon BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2014

Emily Wyant MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Alisha Sullivan MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014

Sarah Davis MFA Applied Craft + Design Practicum 2014