A survey of usability issues in mobile map-based systems

Proceedings of EUTIC 2008

This paper attempts to explore the issues related to the usability evaluation of spatial-aware mobile systems used for technologically mediating interpersonal and group communication. In this direction, it investigates the applicability of existing usability evaluation methods and principles on spatial-aware mobile systems and presents the results of a multi-method usability evaluation of such a system. The evaluation methodology comprises questionnaires, a word list, focus groups and actual logging of use, in order to evaluate the user experience during field tests with the system.

The Cartographic Journal, 2008

An important aspect of a Dutch research project into usable (and well scaled) mobile maps for consumers is presented: the development of an appropriate field-based usability evaluation methodology for the prototype of a geo-mobile application that will be the result of a user centred design approach. Automatic generalisation, required for the user's orientation in space, but also for progressive data transfer, will be an important aspect of the prototype. What is reported here is an effective and technically unique user research methodology, based on a combination of video observation, thinking aloud and semi-structured interviewing. The experiments that have led to this outcome revealed some interesting usability issues that deserve further investigation.

IGI Global eBooks, 2013

Ubiquitous positioning and mobile location-based services in smart phones / Ruizhi Chen, editor. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: "This book explores new research in smart phones with an emphasis on positioning solutions in smart phones, smart phone-based navigation applications, mobile geographical information systems, and related standards"-Provided by publisher.

2022

Navigation systems have become increasingly available and more complex over the past few decades as maps have changed from largely static visual and paper-based representations to interactive and multimodal computerized systems. In this introductory article to the Special Issue on Human-computer Interaction, Geographic Information, and Navigation, we review literature across a variety of fields to generate nine design principles to guide future research and development of navigation systems. Specifically, we suggest making mobile navigation systems more accessible and multimodal, which will make the systems more inclusive and usable for all types of users. We also introduce the research articles contributed to the present special issue and suggest future research directions to empirically evaluate emerging and untested features of user-adapted and context-aware mobile navigation systems.

Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference …, 1997

This paper discusses the issues related to the application of wireless communication and positioning technologies to the development of hand-held electronic tour guides. These issues are discussed presenting HIPS, a project recently funded by the European Commission that aims at developing a hand-held electronic tour guide allowing tourists to navigate both the physical space and a related information space when visiting a museum or a city. HIPS detects the position of the tourist and provides personalised and contextual information. The methodological approach of the project plays a fundamental role for the development of such a system: user-centred design and scenario-based design are means for assuring that the final system is appropriate to the user and to the context of use. The usability issues of HIPS are also discussed comparing its features to other audio guides like the one currently available in the Louvre Museum.

Proc. 21st ICC. Durban, South …, 2003

This paper describes the interface conception for a mobile, location-based map application, and the user-centred design approach used to validate design principles. We suggests design guidelines for interactive maps that were used for prototypes for a mobile fair guide. Abstract and simplified visualizations were combined with interactive linking to textual information, especially hidden labels for map objects that can be displayed in tooltips. Usability test results show this to be a promising strategy, if the hidden labels are combined with support of use cases that include search for known objects.

SIGSPATIAL Special, 2016

Combining the functionality of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), wireless communication (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3/4G), and positioning technologies (GPS, Assisted GPS and GLONASS) results in a new era of mobile geographic information systems (GIS) that aim at providing various invaluable services, including location-based services, intelligent transportation systems, logistics management, security and safety, etc. Many mobile GIS applications have been developed to solve challenging real-world problems and improve our quality of life.

Proceedings of the 4th international conference on mobile technology, applications, and systems and the 1st international symposium on Computer human interaction in mobile technology - Mobility '07, 2007

Many applications for mobile devices make use of maps, but because interaction with these maps can be laborious the applications are often hard to use. Therefore, the usability of maps on mobile devices must be improved. In this paper we review the research that has been done to solve technical, environmental, and social challenges of mobile map use. We will discuss interaction, visualization, and adaptive user support for maps on mobile devices. We propose usability engineering as the method that should be used when developing maps for mobile applications.

Map-based Mobile Services

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

The paper discusses usability and communicative capability of mobile multimodal systems. It reports on the evaluation of one particular interactive multimodal route navigation system and discusses the challenges encountered in this task. The main questions concerned the user's preference of one input mode over the other (speech vs. tactile/graphics input), usefulness of the system in completing the task (route navigation), and user satisfaction (willingness to use the system in the future). The user's expectations and real experience of the system were analysed by comparing the users' assessments before and after the system use. Conclusions concerning system design are drawn and discussed from the perspective of the system's communicative capability, based on the view of the computer as an interactive agent.