3/ Burger Map
I have always enjoyed discovering the unique habits or quirks in close friends and family members. It’s especially satisfying when, in an ordinary moment, I suddenly notice something new—an “aha” moment that gives me a fresh perspective on someone I thought I knew well. This project idea began from such a moment: I realized my father and I had very different ways of eating a hamburger. Even though we were eating the same food, our eating styles and patterns were surprisingly distinct. For instance, my father would eat nearly all of the French fries at the beginning, leaving few for me by the middle of the meal. Realizing that each person’s approach to something as simple as a burger could be unique, I became curious about how these differences in eating patterns could be visualized.
This curiosity led to the Burger Map project, where I aimed to represent people’s burger-eating patterns visually. I wanted viewers to intuitively grasp these personal patterns by using colors, shapes, and spatial organization. By organizing organic data into a geometric framework, the project allows us to observe and compare each individual’s unique approach to eating.
Project Background: How Might We?
Excerpt from Iris’s August 2022 diary:
As usual on a Saturday morning, I came home and then sat down with my father to have a Burger King meal. Suddenly, I noticed that my father had eaten almost all of my French fries, and I couldn’t help but protest. While I usually snack on fries between bites of my burger, my father insists on eating them right away before they get soggy. Using this as his “excuse,” he would always swipe nearly half of my fries, then give a mischievous smile.
As usual on a Saturday morning, I came home and then sat down with my father to have a Burger King meal. Suddenly, I noticed that my father had eaten almost all of my French fries, and I couldn’t help but protest. While I usually snack on fries between bites of my burger, my father insists on eating them right away before they get soggy. Using this as his “excuse,” he would always swipe nearly half of my fries, then give a mischievous smile.
This small moment from daily life sparked my imagination and inspired me to think about how we might visualize each person’s distinctiveness through their habits and behaviors. Even in something as ordinary as eating a hamburger, unique patterns emerge that reveal individual identity. I realized that these personal distinctions are truly beautiful. Through this experience, my father showed me a side of himself not just as "my dad," but as Wookeun Bae, a unique individual with his own habits. This inspired me to go beyond merely visualizing data, to craft these small personal patterns into something deeply meaningful.
Therefore, this project is dedicated to my beloved father.
Experimental Source
I collected full-length videos of participants eating a burger, allowing them to choose their preferred burger brand and their favorite burger sets. Beyond eating the burger, participants were not given any additional constraints or instructions during the filming, allowing for natural, unforced behaviors to emerge.
Wookeun Bae (Dad)Burger Brand : Burgerking
Total Duration : 31’11”
Kukyoung Jang (Health Trainer)Burger Brand : Burgerking
Total Duration : 5’48”
Jennifer Taylor (Friend)
Burger Brand : ShakeShack
Total Duration : 10’02”
Kirsten Elharda (Friend)
Burger Brand : Burgerbee
Total Duration : 13’28”
Analyzing: Draft Sketch
In each section of the grid paper, I filled in a colored pencil mark for every 5 seconds of the video.
The colored pencil marks serve as visual indicators of distinct activity types, capturing behavioral identity markers (e.g., taking a bite of the burger, wiping one’s mouth with a napkin) across the interaction timeline.
Wookeun’s Burger Map Draft
Kukyoung’s Burger Map Draft
Jennifer’s Burger Map Draft
Kirsten’s Burger Map Draft
Digitalizing
Semi-Final Work
Kukyoung
Total Duration : 5’48”
Little Comment :👑MFP(Most Fast Person)👑
He was a Super Super Fast eater...
Jennifer
Total Duration : 10’02”
Little Comment :Jennifer is sports girl. She aims to be fit all the time, so No Ketchup is needed in her table!
Kirsten
Total Duration : 13’28”
Little Comment : Kirstsen is warm-hearted friend. She does not want us, video watcher, to be lonely or feel awkward with her video.
As a sports lover, too, she does not eat Fries with ketchup, for less sugar and salt. However, can’t miss out the sauce spitting out of my burger!
Wookeun
Total Duration : 31’11”
Little Comment :👑MSP(Most Slow Person)👑
He was a Super Super Slow eater...