∆ 3 Synthesis
The Shipping Forecast map was the starting point of my Unit 2 research, when I delved into the possibilities of mapping, and countermapping. I aimed to show the artificiality of borders and further challenge the map’s neutrality. Studying Forensic Architecture’s (2025) practice I saw an even stronger correlation between mapping and power. They tell stories of conflicts from the point of view of everyday people instead of governments and institutions. This inspired me to shift from a macro to a micro scale. Consuegra (2025) uses Google Street View to show the presence of food delivery riders, whose work goes unseen in the context of platform capitalism. Analysing his work made me reflect on the stories behind these workers. Exploring the amplitude of mapping led me to Knight’s (2021) abstract maps. The use of overlayed tracing paper added the time dimension, suitable for analysing workers who are always moving through space. This approach inspired my following experiment, when I observed and traced the paths of riders on Granary Square. Creating something from my point of view instead of secondary research, and doing field work made me feel closer to the subject.
The next step was to conduct interviews. A rider from my home country Brazil told me details about his work routine, information that I couldn’t have known about otherwise. Participant observation became a key field research method for me. The insight about account renting resulted in the poster directed to Brazilian riders, the photos of their phones inspired the Routes publication, and my field notes were the basis for the messages on the protest signs, protest jacket and protest receipt.
My research up to this point was heavily dependent on collaboration with riders. I’m also in contact with the IWGB union. Despite the importance of partnering with workers, individually or through a union, it is a lengthy process. I will continue this effort while exploring opportunities of working individually.
Countermapping
Like countermapping allows for people to challenge dominant narratives, counterapping reveals the structures that lie beyond the mobile screen. The scroll is a gesture for navigating within a digital app. Scrolls of paper are used for instance in receipt printing. Receipts are a material interface where the user interacts with the delivery rider in-person instead of the app. The last iteration I’m working on is a scroll of receipt paper with real rider’s names next to a few words that summarise the impact delivery work has had on them, based on news articles and past and future interviews I conduct. I hope having a short question to ask will allow me to gather a growing volume of data.
This project will certainly evolve during Unit 3 as I explore its content and distribution. The prints could be handed directly to customers, or be part of an exhibition where the printer sits and prints continuously. Content now is limited to my own research on the impact of the work, but it’s possible to research demands instead, or use an open approach that includes all sorts of stories I find. Alternatively, riders could have the power to participate directly by inputting their words, prompted by a theme or not. Whatever the outcome, it should be a continuous project. By creating a platform for their stories, I hope to use the paper scroll to reveal what’s behind the app scroll.
Reference List
Consuegra, J. (2025) ‘Community riders’ [Instagram]. 22 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGYoUHmRTzO/ (Accessed: 22 May 2025).
Forensic Architecture (2025) The Evros/Meriç river: a century of border design. Available at: https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-evros-meric-river-a-century-of-border-design (Accessed: 29 Apr 2025).
Knight, L. (2021) Inefficient mapping: a protocol for attuning to phenomena. Punctum Books.