Metro maps are beautiful. Do you also get hypnotized by public transit maps when waiting for a metro? There is something in them… They push geographic accuracy aside but somehow they are more understandable than topographic maps. The harmonic strings are put together in logical and balanced order. The simple rainbow colors marking each line are so familiar and easy to read that you can’t take your eyes out of it…
If you have the same feeling about metro maps this book might be for you. One Metro World compiles 40 beautiful transit maps from all the world. The maps designed by a Paris-based architect Jug Cerovic, are functional but at the same time they are works of art.
His maps are based on a commonly used geometric convention referring to famous Harry Beck’s London Tube Map from 1931 but they are based on passion rather than contracts with local authorities. And you can feel it.
In parallel to the book all the maps are also available in the form of an app. In order to get the book and/or the app it you can back this project on Kickstarter. There are still 7 days to go.
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Alibaba the largest online commerce company in the world has invested in PlaceIQ. The companies did not disclose the value of the deal.
PlaceIQ build its business based on understanding the spatial behaviour of customers. Where you go says a lot about who you are and what you’re going to do next. The company receives location data about users from brands (most users allow access to when they download and install free mobile apps) and analyses it applying its proprietary location-based analytics platform. This gives marketers a unique insight about behavioural patterns of their customers.
The investment means that Alibaba is searching for a way to improve its user targeting and better understand customers. Although the company is mostly known for its online business it actually gets most of its traffic from the mobile app. Alibaba also owns Chinese equivalents of Twitter and YouTube among other businesses.
This sounds like a lot of location-based data that could give some insights for optimizing ad targeting and improving User Experience. For PlaceIQ the deal means an access to a massive Chinese and global markets. Alibaba has almost 5 billion users worldwide. The scale is really amazing. Well done PlaceIQ!
