I just got back from visiting the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas – it was a perfect way to relax, since I just took my comprehensive exams. There were still a few interesting notes from the human factors realm, though, including a bit from the Grand Canyon.

One of the most useful thing that the National Parks Service does at the park it to put up signs at important canyon overlooks with information and history. Additionally, there is usually a sign that labels the visual points of interest. This scenic locator is incredibly well-crafted – a huge photo taken on a clear day with every interesting point labeled. You would find a point of interest on the sign, then look out into the canyon and find the exact geographic feature exactly where you expected it. It seems like an obvious thing to do, but it wasn’t, at least in the past. This scenic locator from 1922 is hardly a photo-realistic representation of the lookout point:

While this must have taken more work to make than a large photograph, this is (of course) not as intuitive for the visitor. There is no mental imagery, and mental mapping from the representation to the real thing is much more difficult. People have difficulties interpreting abstract images, which the 1922 scenic locator definitely is. Modern technology enabled the National Park Service to create the intuitive representation of the Grand Canyon, which enriches everyone’s experience.