First steps with QGIS using GUI and Python

Fun Before Function—A Ludic Path to Democratizing GIS and Spatial Computing
The goal of learning is often framed by the business side of education as "utility": career readiness, job preparation, or simply "follow the money." Similarly, technology is promoted as a tool to save labor, make things easier, or simplify tasks.
But education has deeper roots. Historically, the teaching profession evolved from priesthoods that guarded sacred knowledge. These structures maintained profit-generating information asymmetries through deliberate complexity. This ensured only a select few could access the levers of power and production.
Thus, technical disciplines were made to seem "difficult"—not to foster competence in everyone, but to:
Intimidate learners and lighten the load for instructors.

Separate the "elite" from the "ordinary," reinforcing hierarchy under the illusion of meritocracy.

Our mission is different.
In democratizing GIS and spatial computing, we reject artificial barriers. We don’t want to oversimplify the learning process until it becomes mindless. Nor do we want to create a dependence on tools that strip away critical understanding. Instead, our aim is to help you rise.
We want GIS, world building, digital twinning, and spatial analysis to be FUN.
When learning is fun, you don’t worry about how hard it is or how long it takes. You play. You explore. And in doing so, the learning becomes real and lasting.
We believe spatial computing, when approached like a game, becomes a natural part of how you interact with the world. Not something you merely study—something you use to make a difference.
A major barrier to mastering GIS is the GUI (Graphical User Interface): menus, options, layers, fields—a forest of clicks. From a productivity standpoint, it makes sense to automate these processes with scripts. Model builders help, but they too can become unwieldy.
That’s why we introduce code.
QGIS uses Python. Blender uses Python. Roblox Studio relies on Lua. Unity uses C#. R speaks R and Python. Every tool has its language. But the good news? You don’t have to choose one path.
This curriculum empowers you with two main goals:
Apply spatial computing to real-world sustainability problems.

Enjoy the process.

To accomplish both, we give you the freedom to choose your learning path—GUI or code. You’ll learn the trade-offs: GUI workflows may be easier to begin, but harder to repeat; code is harder up front, but faster, smarter, and more scalable over time.
Our unique approach is this: we embed the GUI instructions inside the code, as clearly marked comments. You'll see both:
The mouse-click path most tutorials follow

The matching script that automates it

Side by side. Clear. Transparent.
To quote Led Zeppelin:

"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run... there's still time to change the road you're on."

This is the heart of our ludic learning model: freedom breeds fun, and fun fosters growth. We don't teach to the test. We offer you a playground. A scaffold. A stairway to the outcomes you define.
With this structure, you’ll learn both GUI and code in context. Jump between them at will, depending on your goals, time, and curiosity.
We’ll begin with core GIS procedures in QGIS, then expand to Blender GIS, and finally venture into spatial visualizations with Roblox and Unity.
Let the journey begin with the basics in QGIS...