This report discusses a data-driven design topic focusing on data-enabled communities and citizen sensing and brings forward to the critical design thinking of the relationship between digital maps and human beings in the context of the big data era. Through literature research and design precedents analysis, we understand implicitly into the lack of initiative in the use of digital maps. We believe that the use of digital maps as a tool for active exploration of the environment is beneficial for humans: for individuals, it cultivates environmental consciousness and a sense of belonging; for the community, it promotes the dissemination and interaction of local communications; for the society, it helps the harmonious development of economy and culture. On this basis, a new type of digital map app is created to provide users with an interactive experience in which they can customise the surrounding environment and actively explore. Furthermore, in the process, rethink, redefine and re-emphasise the reflective and meaningful novel “human-map” relationship is built to conduct potential trends for future digital map design and access.
