Wayfinding Choreme Maps

This contribution details how conceptual characterizations of route knowledge can provide the basis for graphical route information in a cognitively adequate way. The approach is based on the theory of wayfinding choremes that originated from the leitmotif to reflect mental conceptualization processes—as a canonical representation—in different modes of externalization, primarily graphical and verbal. The approach is therefore termed cognitive conceptual approach to map design; it stands in opposition to more frequently used data driven approaches. Possibilities and requirements of the conceptual approach are explored and related to information system requirements such as the semantic specification of data structures and their relation to visual output. The wayfinding choreme approach has been implemented in a basic version; its requirements are illustrated and future lines of research are discussed. The focus is placed on organizational aspects of route knowledge, i.e. how they can be modeled and how they can be accounted for in the visualization of modern navigation assistance systems.