Ocean Mapping: Explaining What the Viewer Cannot See

A land map often begins with something a person already recognizes: a road, a town, a coastline. An ocean map may ask its audience to understand an environment it has never seen.

The project concerned ocean mapping. My contribution was to the strategic and communication work around the subject, rather than conducting surveys or producing the underlying measurements. The public story does not disclose locations or survey data.

A compelling image still needs an explanation

An unfamiliar map can hold attention before the viewer understands what it represents. That first impression is valuable, but it can also encourage assumptions. Does a color indicate a measurement, an interpretation or simply a way of organizing the display?

A good explanation gives the audience enough context to ask a better next question. It identifies the purpose of the information and avoids suggesting that a striking visual contains more certainty than the underlying work supports.

Organize the story around a decision

The useful starting point is what someone needs the information for. A broad public introduction and a detailed professional presentation may share the same subject while requiring different levels of explanation.

My interest lies in helping the business make that transition. Technical terminology needs a clear place in the account. So do the limits of the information and the distinction between what is observed and what is inferred.

An ocean-mapping project can be fascinating on its own terms. The communication becomes more useful when the audience can also understand why the work matters to the people who might use it.