Using Foursquare check-in data, ‘Etch Maps’ charts out your life story. Etch visualizes your everyday life by aggregating your Foursquare data and prints it on a map of your city. As a result, you get a completely personalized map based on your urban exploration.
Currently, the maps are only available for the metropolises of Manhattan, Portland and San Francisco. If you live in one of these cities, Etch will visualize your experiences and place them on a high quality city map. According to product descriptions, the maps are printed on "archival heavyweight fine art" that are oil and smudge proof so that you can hang it up as is.
The Etch project was founded by entrepreneurs Jeremy Weikel and Michael Yap. The duo created the firm in order to extract value from personal data while presenting it in a beautiful form.
Social Media Exploration Maps
The ‘Etch Maps’ Visualize Your Urban Story and Experienc
Trend Themes
1. Personalized Mapping - There is an opportunity to develop personalized mapping services that leverage personal data sourced from social networks such as Foursquare and transform them into aesthetically-pleasing artworks.
2. Data Visualization - With the growing amount of data being generated on social media platforms, there is a need for innovative and user-friendly data visualization tools that can extract meaning and create personal value from this information.
3. Location-based Advertising - Brands can leverage personalized mapping services and location-based data to develop highly-targeted advertising based on the movements of their customers and the places they visit.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - The art and design industry could benefit from the creation of personalized mapping services as a means of leveraging personal data to create unique works of art.
2. Marketing and Advertising - There is potential for the marketing and advertising industry to use these personalized maps to develop location-based campaigns that are more targeted and relevant to consumers.
3. Data Analytics - Data analytics companies can develop innovative tools to process and make sense of the vast amounts of data being sourced from social media sites such as Foursquare.