Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Common Usability Problems
The meta-analysis of 17 user studies in the domain of Web mapping did uncover
usability problems which did reappear in different projects. Therefore it is advisable
that the developers of Web-mapping applications devote some time to check if one
or more of the following usability problems might occur within their systems. The
most common usability problems with desktop Web-mapping applications were:
- Problems with the intuitiveness and grouping of functions and icons;
- Problems with the position, size and function of the search box;
- Missing help, tutorials, and/or tooltips;
- Problems with the legend which was either missing or unreadable;
- Map window sizes were too small;
- Problems with the map quality. Maps were missing detail;
- Maps were overloaded and unreadable;
- System interfaces made use of unclear language (jargon);
- Loading times for maps were too long;
- Minimalist icons (just graphics, with no explanation) were not intuitive enough;
- Users were missing functions for exporting/printing the maps;
- Some interfaces had consistency problems (language, style, fonts);
- Problems with the menu structure; and
- Insufficient feedback on system status was given.
For mobile mapping applications the most common usability problems were:
- Problems with the position and selection of landmarks and with their iconic
representation;
- Confusion about the map-orientation when users were standing still or maps
were not adapting themselves to the direction; and
- Problems with positioning (GPS, indication of position on the maps).
It is possible that some of these issues could have been avoided if the design of
prototypes or applications would have been supported by established design prin-
ciples, or if heuristic evaluation would have been carried out prior to usability
testing with users. Therefore it is advisable to consult principles and heuristics for
interface design and for cartographic design when building a new Web-mapping
application.
Conclusion
The proposed framework provides a theoretical foundation for conducting
user and usability research in various stages of application design. The
framework can help cartographic application developers who are not experi-
enced in methods of user and usability research to conduct user studies and to
design applications which are utile and usable for the target audience. The
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