40 min presentation to the Map Curators Workshop 2013 held in Hothorpe Hall. The presentation looks at how EDINA has used the knowledge fro running web based mapping services for 15 years to develop a new mobile mapping app. The focus is on "knowing your users" and ensuring that you fulfill their needs.

1. Maps and Apps
Addy Pope
Research and geodata service
EDINA
Photo: Addy Pope

2. EDINA

3. What do we do?
Flicker – Panda Evans http://www.flickr.com/photos/98216330@N00/239423934/

4. Digimap – a mini-revolution
Mocpages: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/135070

5. Digimap – the beginning
Digimap Carto Beta circa 1999

6. Digimap – Evolution
Digimap Roam – VectorMap Local

7. Know your users
Geoscience is in the minority. What does this tell you?
What do users actually want to do, or rather what do they want to
avoid doing?

8. Digimap – Alternative representations
Alternative representations – 4 images of the same area with different
styles applied.

9. Digimap – add your own data
Digimap Roam – 1:50 000 + Hillshade + GPX tracklog uploaded as
annotation

10. So how do you improve interfaces?

11. Usability led interface design
USeD - JISC Research infrastructure programme -
Usability/Learnability

12. Identify the problem
Select 1 data product
from a choice of 16
Define area
Pick data
tiles
Define delivery
format
21
4
3
Stats:
• 48,000+ Digimap users
• 74,000 data requests*
• 1,000,000 data tiles served*
* Based on Jan 2010 – Jan 2011

13. Know your users
http://used.blogs.edina.ac.uk/files/2011/09/USeD_Persona.pdf

14. Define the requirements

15. Iterative test cycle
Start
Persona
Tech/User
Rec’s
Testing
Release
0
6
User Testing
Prototype Review
Revise
Implement

16. Be prepared to fail
Not everything will work. Part of experimenting with an interface is
working out what doesn’t work
Pic courtesy of Volvo Cars

17. Be prepared to fail
But remember, you will still find users who simply just don’t get it.
Pic courtesy of Volvo Cars

18. Test it, test it, test it
http://used.blogs.edina.ac.uk/files/2011/09/USeD_Persona.pdf

19. Launch
Data Download beats the old version hands down
as far as I‘m concerned. The rapidity with which
you can select a map extent and download all of
the relevant mapping data in one go is by far much
better than the slow and more manual way things
used to work. Top notch stuff.”
Lecturer at Northumbria University

20. But what about mobile?
Location based everything

21. Data collection has changed
Technology has made data capture
easier, more affordable and quicker.

22. Beyond the classroom
Pic courtesy of Richard Allaway: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographyalltheway_photos/5186209019/in/set-72157625415772442

23. Know your users….. again.
WHO?
 Geographers?
 Geoscience?
 Everyone?
WHAT?
 Navigate?
 View maps?
 Collect data?
WHERE?
 UK or Abroad?
 Rural or urban
 3G network?
HOW?
 Easy to use?
 Platform?

24. Mapping – ok, but not great

25. Mapping for mobiles

26. Scale Vs Screen

27. Custom Mapping
We added another zoom level and the stack increased from 26Gb to 84Gb

28. Example Maps
Some example maps from Fieldtrip GB

29. Mapping Issues : Urban vs. Rural
Urban and rural areas
have different needs, rural
areas would benefit from
a wider view / urban area
might benefit from larger
scale views.
How do you satisfy both
from one mapping stack?

30. Maps anywhere
Why save maps to the phone?
 Data connection not always
available in rural areas
 Streaming maps uses data
allowance
 Maps load faster
http://ukmobilecoverage.co.uk/map/ee

31. Maps anywhere
Why save maps to the phone?
 Fieldwork in rural areas
 Streaming maps uses data allowance
 Maps load faster
http://ukmobilecoverage.co.uk/map/ee
But now we have to consider:
 Select an area
 Prevent user mistaking selection map for
the actual map
 Select zoom levels?
 Communicate the size of the download
 Integrate : Prevent the app streaming
maps to device that have been
downloaded

32. Maps anywhere
Preview Map:
shows the detail of
the mapping you
will download
Zoom Levels: define
the number of
zoom levels you
want to download

33. Capture the data you want
http://fieldtripgb.edina.ac.uk/authoring/
Create your own data
collection form and
deploy it to your phone

34. Understand the users
Promotes good research data
management through consistent
capture and helps reduce
blunders

35. Post Capture
Easy Data Sharing:
 Sync to upload data
 Filter data by form name
 Visualise your data on a
basemap
 Edit collected data
 Export to kml, GeoJson,
csv, wms*
 Share maps through
Dropbox

36. PCAPI – How it works
PCAPI
Personal Cloud API
Drop
Box
Flickr
Google
Drive?
Secure
HE/FE?
Your Cloud Space
EDINA Services
Custom
Forms
Record
Viewer
Publish
Records
AuthoringTool
FieldTripGB

37. What platforms?
Wikipedia -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_operating_system

38. Hybrid app

39. EDINA App – Fieldtrip GB
http://fieldtripgb.blogs.edina.ac.uk/
Download maps
and forms
Upload captured
data
Capture Data: basic
capture forms and
GPS tracking
Maps: View maps
or save them for
use offline

40. Citizen Science
•Get a new Dropbox account to share with your team
•Download Fieldtrip GB to your devices1.Before you start
•Log into the Authoring Tool
•Create a custom form and save it2. Design your form
•Get the team to log into the Dropbox account
•Use Sync to get the form on their devices3. Share the form
•Collect data using the form
•Manually correct remote points or in urban canyons4. In the field
•Connect to WiFi
•Get the team Sync to upload the data5. Back indoors
•Log into Authoring Tool
•Filter by form name and edit points if needed6. Manage your data
•Export to a KML file, GeoJSON, CSV or WMS
•Map the points in Google Earth, OpenLayers or a GIS7. View the results

41. Architecture
Service Architecture:
• Apache web server
• MapCache (Tile cache)
• Python WSGI (PC API)
• Citrix Netscaler load balancer
• VSphere VMWare (SUN X4150
cluster)
Map Generation Architecture:
• OpenStack private cloud
• Apache Web Server
• MapServer 6.2
• MapCache seeder
• PostGIS
App Architecture:
• Data storage outsourced
• PhoneGap
• OpenLayers
Why PhoneGap?
• OpenLayers library more versatile
• Easier to implement custom forms
• Lower costs

42. Beginning, not the end
http://fieldtripgb.blogs.edina.ac.uk/