AMOU (A Map of Us) describes itself as “a shared map of our memories.” In essence, the map allows people to pin their own personal stories, memories, and emotional milestones to specific locations around the world. The result is a global atlas of deeply personal landmarks.
Each marker on the map – called a mou – is a short note anchored to a location. Some are deeply personal reflections, others are messages to someone else, and some are fleeting whispers of what could have been. Together, these fragments form an intimate, collective portrait of how people experience place.
To add a memory to a location, users simply click on the map, write a memory, and submit it. Users can backdate entries; therefore, memories can be placed exactly where and when they happened. All ‘mous' appear as colored dots on the map, categorized as ‘For me', ‘For them', ‘For all', or ‘Reflection'.
The idea of pinning memories to a map is not entirely new but, based on the number of memories added to the map, AMOU seems to have a struck a chord. Its simple, intuitive interface lowers the barrier to sharing. Perhaps AMOU resonates because it taps into a universal human impulse: the nostalgia for moments tied to place, and our emotional attachment to our most personal memories.
