Abstract
A User-Centered Design (UCD) approach can facilitate the development of effective user interfaces and generate comprehensive map contents for web mapping applications and services. To create a successful web mapping application, all major system components (GIS databases, web map servers, and web map browsers) should satisfy the needs of users and fulfill the objectives of mapping services. Different countries may have different user needs and mapping objectives. This research proposes a five-stage developmental framework (based on UCD approaches) for two major components of web mapping services: web map user interface (functions) and web map display layers (map contents). The five-stage framework (strategy, scope, structure, skeleton, and surface) of a UCD approach can provide comprehensive guidelines and implementation procedures for GIS developers and cartographers. This chapter uses a real-world web mapping example in the United States to illustrate the five stage UCD framework. The example prototype illustrates the display needs of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologic data and the required GIS tasks for water resource managers. The web map prototype is evaluated by domain experts and users in the USGS to analyze the effectiveness of a web mapping toolset and interface. This research suggests that full adoption of a UCD approach will improve the quality of web mapping and provide more useful geospatial information services for various users.
Keywords
- Mapping Service
- Geographic Information Service
- Scope Stage
- Geospatial Information Service
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Curran, J. (2005). Web-based Geospatial Information Services and Analytical Tools for Management of Realtime Surface Water Hydrology. Master’s Thesis. Department of Geography, San Diego State University.
Garrett, J. J. (2002). The Elements of User Experiences: User-Centered Design for the Web. New York: American Institute of Graphic Arts.
Gould, M. D. (1989). Human Factors Research and its Value to GIS User Interface Design, Proceedings GIS/LIS’ 89, Orlando, Florida, pp. 542–550.
ISO (1999). ISO 13407: Human Centered Design for Interactive Systems. International Organization for Standardisation, Geneva, Switzerland.
Mark, D. M., and Gould, M. D. (1991). Interacting with geographical information: A commentary, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, Vol. 57, No. 11, pp. 1427–1430.
Medyckyj-Scott, and Hearnshaw, H. M. edited. (1993). Human Factors in Geographical Information Systems, Belhaven Press, London.
Nielsen, J. (1994). Heuristic Evaluation. In Usability Inspection Methods, eds. J. Nielsen and R. Mack, New York: Wiley, pp. 25–62.
Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability Engineering. Academic Press. San Diego, California.
Nivala, A.-M, Sarjakoski, L. T. And T. Sarjakosko. (2005). User-Centered Design and Development of a Mobile Map Service. In the Proceedings of Scandinavian Research Conference on GIScience (ScanGIS), p. 109–123.
Nyerges, T., Mark D., Egenhofer M., and Laurini R. (eds.), (1995). Cognitive Aspects of Human-computer Interaction for Geographic Information Systems, Papers from the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Mallorca, Spain, March 21–25, 1994. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, September, 1995.
Peng, Z.R., & Tsou, M.H. (2003). Internet GIS: distributed geographic information services for the Internet and wireless networks. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Peterson, M. (1999). Chapter 3. Elements of Multimedia Cartography. In Cartwright W, Peterson M. P., and Gartner G. edited. Multimedia Cartography. Pp. 31–38.
Robinson, A. H. (1952). The Look of Maps. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin.
Shneiderman, B. (1998). Designing the User Interface. Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. 3rd. edition. Addison-Wesley.
Tsou, M.H. (2003). Chapter 14: An Intelligent Software Agent Architecture for Distributed Cartographic Knowledge Bases and Internet Mapping Services. In Maps and the Internet, M. Peterson (ed), Elsevier Press, pp. 229–243.
Tsou, M.H. (2004). Integrating Web-based GIS and On-line Remote Sensing Facilities for Environmental Monitoring and Management. In special issue on the potential of Web-based GIS, the Journal of Geographical Systems. 6(2), pp. 155–174.
Tsou, M.H. and Buttenfield, B.P. (1997). A Direct Manipulation Interface for Geographical Information Processing. In: Kraak, M.J. and Melenaar, M. (eds.) Advances in GIS Research II. Taylor & Francis, London, U.K., pp. 905–915
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Tsou, MH., Curran, J.M. (2008). User-Centered Design Approaches for Web Mapping Applications: A Case Study with USGS Hydrological Data in the United States. In: Peterson, M.P. (eds) International Perspectives on Maps and the Internet. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72029-4_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72029-4_20
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-72028-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-72029-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)