Getting Lost
Came across a new feature on Mapquest. In the printable version on the map, they've added ICONS for the major types of ACTIONS (left turn, right turn, merge, etc).
(click to enlarge)
Very similar problem to the recipe notation and suggests other attributes of the problem. When you're driving and trying to read directions, you want to be able to see major ACTIONS (LEFT) and have them be OBVIOUSLY DISTINGUISHED from other less important information (e.g., LEFT on elm st). Most directions (either online or those written out by hand) didn't do much beyond capitalizing major ACTIONS. In writing out directions, I would CIRCLE these kinds of words and/or put them as the first word of each event to try and accomplish this. So the shorthand would look like this:
(L) on elm
go two blocks
(R) on maple
(R) on edgewood
Beyond the (L) and (R), one never invests enough time to define any other MAJOR actions. Mapquest has done a good job with a first attempt. LEFT and RIGHT, however, should be more markedly different from each other at a glance -- maybe make it a < instead of a full arrow and place it more to the right of the sign (for the TURN RIGHT icon).
On last similarity between driving directions and cooking directions is the need to be able to find your place in the sequence AT A GLANCE. Somehow the notation system must make it easier to quickly ID you LAST STEP completed, in order to find your NEXT STEP. From here on out, we'll call this the LET'S GET LOST problem.
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