Visualizing Directions and Schedules on Handheld Devices

1
Visualizing Directions and Schedules on Handheld
Devices

• A Pilot Study of Maps vs. Text and Color vs.
  Monochrome
• Pankaj Thakkar
• Irina Ceaparu
• Cemal Yilmaz

2
Introduction

• What is ROVER?
• Location aware information service
• Info customized for User, Device Location
• Project Description
• Developing UI for In-building Rover Client
• Study of presenting info for navigation
  directions and scheduling

3
Previous Work

• Graphic directions are faster and more accurate
  than text
• Pilot/Airport Study Display IV 4 treatments
• Colors improve time performance and accuracy
• Info Extraction Display IV 4 treatments
• We focus on two specific tasks on handheld
  devices with limited treatment

4
Experiment

• Hypothesis
• Colors increase performance time and accuracy
• Maps increase performance time and accuracy
• Variables
• IV1 ( of colors) 5 colors vs. 2 colors
• IV2 (display) maps vs. text directions
• DV performance time, of errors
• Subjects 20 (within subjects)

5
Procedure Color vs. No Color

• Tasks
• Find the next slot to schedule a meeting
• Find the of schedulable slots in a range

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Procedure Maps vs. Text

• Tasks
• Follow directions to reach a destination

7
Results and Observations

• Color vs. No Color
• Subjective preference for color
• No statistically significant results though

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Results and Observations

• Maps vs. Text
• Subjective preference for Maps
• No statistically significant results though

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Conclusions

• Increase of subjects to get good stats
• Our interfaces can be improved
• Various treatments possible for the IVs we
  studied
• Size of maps and text can be increased
• Use contrasting colors
• People need time to become accustomed to the task
  and technology