# LEGO Cartography Canvases Samuel Granados' Migration Maps Turn Populations into Toy Blocks By Amelia Roblin | Published 2011-02-28 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/samuel-granados-migration-maps References: [notcot.org](http://www.notcot.org/post/38399/) & [issuu](http://issuu.com/samuelgranados/docs/america_migration) Cartography is a compelling study that works strives to analyze various aspects of a geographical regions and their characteristics, and Samuel Granados' Migration Maps take the analysis to a playful level. The artist's Mexico Emigrants and American Cartogram collect that data from the Development Research Center on Migration, Globalization and Poverty, and turn it into [toy blocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-campbells-soup) to create 3D artworks. Where every single piece of [LEGO](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-luggage) represents 10,000 immigrants, the Samuel Granados' Migration Maps reveal an undulating and often jagged analytical topography across North America. Color-coded within each region, the overall appearance of such systematic creations appears to be more artistic than your run-of-the-mill map. Allowing the viewer to extract his own conclusions about population displacement, these plaything demographic projections carry an unexpected breadth of information within such trivial trinket arrangements. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 27% | Activity: 51% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/toys) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Migration Maps:** Using toy blocks to represent immigration data, there is an opportunity to create interactive and visually appealing migration maps for educational purposes. - **Playful Cartography:** Combining cartography with toys opens up opportunities for engaging and interactive ways to analyze geographical data. - **Data Visualization:** Transforming complex data into visually appealing and accessible forms through methods like LEGO cartography creates opportunities for effective data visualization. ### Where This Applies - **Education:** Using migration maps as educational tools can provide students with a fun and engaging way to learn about population dynamics and geography. - **Art and Design:** Artists and designers can explore the creative potential of combining cartography and toy blocks as mediums for expressing social and demographic information. - **Data Analysis and Visualization:** Businesses and research institutions can utilize innovative data visualization techniques like LEGO cartography to analyze and present complex information in a more accessible manner. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Building Block-Inspired Suitcases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-luggage.md) - [Retro Space-Themed Puzzled Posters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/john-carter.md) - [Building Block Board Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-settlers-of-catan.md) - [Reimagined Puzzled Artful Paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portrait-of-a-woman-in-a-hat.md) - [Contemporary Art Puzzle Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modern-art-building-set.md) - [Building Block Art Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/art-project-create-together.md) - [Nature-Inspired Building Block Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seven-natural-wonders-of-the-world.md) - [Artful Puzzle Block Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-great-wave-off-kanagawa.md) - [Block Puzzle Carnival Masks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/masquerade-mask-1.md)