Kate Mclean : Sensory Maps

Last saturday morning while doing my research on 5 senses design, I chanced upon Kate Mclean. Kate is a a sensory researcher, designer, photographer and a lecturer. She produces works that challenges the paradigm that graphic design can rely on the visual. And she believes that since we have 5 senses, we should use them. I was so happy to learn about someone across the universe is doing something similar to my project, or at least a project based on the 5 senses and it got me so excited.

Her works are mainly sensory maps and revolves around the usage of senses of cause. I found her blogging space, http://sensorymaps.blogspot.sg which was full of interesting ideas and experiences she has learnt about and she document her experience in that blog. Most of her post were a concentration on the sense of smell. Kate create maps that utilise the usage of senses and she categorised them. She has a few smell maps done but not forgetting the other senses, so she had taste, view and tactile maps as well. They really sound very interesting to me and they make me curious. So I took a deeper look into her works, some sensory maps based in EDINBURGH : 

1. Taste map

"Scotland, a beautiful small European country, is

blissfully free of ageing populations. The Scots die young and don't cling on their pensions for decades like Japanese centenaires, sucking the blood of younger generations. What's their secret? The Scottish Diet, an age-old combination low in fresh fruits and vegetables and high in confectionery, fat enriched meat products, sweet and salty snacks accompanied by generous amounts of sugary drinks and alcohol.


"The golden rule of the Scottish diet is that fat, sugar and alcohol should each account for at least 30% of your daily calorie intake. You may eat one serving of fruit per week, preferably as jams or preserves."

2. Tactile map

TACTILE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Neighbourhoods have distinct identities, boundaries, often built at different times, for different city expansion projects they have their own textures and "feel".


In time these neighbourhoods become communities with commonalities, distinctive characterisitics and subculture. The phyisical textures of the Old Town include rough-hewn rock and cobbles, the New Town is smoother. The emotional characteristics can be described in similar terms.

3. View Map 

PANORAMIC EDINBURGH VIEWS
Stunning views in Edinburgh appear for unexpected moments between tall buildings. The silhouettes of Edinburgh buildings in themselves are not instantly recognisable, but the small gaps through which you glimpse them make them unique.
4. 

Auld Reekie emits a plethora of scents and smells; some particular to Edinburgh, some ubiquitous city aromas. It is the combination of smells, and how they are distributed by the prevailing south-westerly winds that make scents and smells city-specific.

Coloured dots indicate the point of origin of the scents, the contour lines show where the smells blow to in the wind.
Kate is truly inspiring and all of her works are so interesting, keeping me curious. I am so glad that I chanced upon her website, now I've gained more perspective and interest for my project.A supporting quote to end off, : "Our most precious moments of travel are taken home not through our luggage, not through our cameras… but through our senses". Mendiratta 2010.