"There is nothing in machinery, there is nothing in embankments and railways and iron bridges and engineering devices to oblige them to be ugly. Ugliness is the measure of imperfection."
H.G. Wells
What do you think? I tend to agree, however, we are in an industry today where nobody wants to pay for aesthetics - or at the very least a pittance is paid or it is an afterthought. If ugliness is the measure of imperfection in engineering, then is beauty the measure of perfection? If it is, how should we as engineers and surveyors move along the spectrum towards perfection of beauty. While exceptions might exist, beauty isn't something that we as humans can command and it happens - it takes time and thought and focus.
The same can be said for surveying and mapping I believe. An "ugly" product shows lack of focus and thought, and a lack of ingenuity. A map or plat is something that can show beauty if given or provided the time to create. Something we strive to do here at BHI although there is always the tension of time and budget and the pull to show data as it has always been shown rather than try something new. I think we do an exceptional job at pushing the envelope to create and develop new ideas and develop a product that shows beauty.
I think it can be done…
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