Alena Vondráková - Making thematic maps in ArcGIS with emphasis on user issues
1. Making thematic maps in ArcGIS
with emphasis on user issues
Alena VONDRÁKOVÁ
alena.vondrakova@upol.cz
Second InDOG
Doctoral Conference
13–16 October 2013
5. User Issues
• combination of social, professional and user aspects
• complex process with many internal and external factors
How to make thematic maps
with emphasis on user issues?
6. Objective Research Methods
• the influence of the psychological aspects on the perception
of users can be assessed by the eye-tracking technology
• individual’s eye movements are measured
• there are monitored localization of eye-movement in any given time
8. Case studies
• the full potential of evaluation methods, which include research
target groups, interviews with experts, direct observation, survey
and study of literature, was utilized
• there were used exploratory, descriptive, explanatory and
testing approaches
• each evaluation of non-technological aspect was addressed in
three basic levels – definition, realization and the description of
the case study and partition findings and recommendations
• the following example is only a sample case study
9. Case Study
Methods of Cartographic Visualization
• lack of standardization or mandatory rules in cartography
• choice of method of cartographic visualization depends on the
opinion of the map author
• way of expressing the same information by different methods
of cartographic visualization leads to different user perception
• maps have to help their users to better understand geospatial
relationships, not to confuse the user
• users have to get the information as quickly as possible
and as accurately as possible
18. User's ability to distinguish colors
• problems
• ability to distinguish red colors (ET experiment)
• NORMAL value is not AVERAGE value
ESRI color range
Authors color range
19. Customization – Color Blindness
Vischeck
Color Blindness
Simulator
Caitlin Dempsey (2011)
24. Findings
• users are the key determinants of any cartographic work
• it is important to identify needs of the target users
• user needs may differ with respect to their intellectual
and physical condition
• maps for people with specific disabilities are frequently missing
• adaptation of cartographic production to the target group of users
has a significant impact on technological treatment
• view of users, creators and producers to the offer of cartographic
production for the demand users vary considerably
• choice of methods of cartographic representation
and their applications can have a significant impact
on the perception of presented phenomena
25. Recommendations
• it is needed to focus more on specific user needs
• it is necessary to test created cartographic works (before their
mass production) on user perception – it is appropriate to use
a combination of modern methods
• eye-tracking technology and standard approaches can be used
(questionnaires, interview and more)
• cartographic works should be adapted to the specific needs
of users in the best possible level
26. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
alena vondrakova@gmail.com
Palacký University, Olomouc
CZECH REPUBLIC
Second InDOG
Doctoral Conference
13–16 October 2013
