Inspecting User Interface Quality in Web GIS Applications

1
Inspecting User Interface Quality in Web GIS
Applications
UNICAMP State University of Campinas IC Institute
of Computing

• Juliano Schimiguel
• M. Cecília C. Baranauskas
• Claudia Bauzer Medeiros
• November-2004

2
Outline

• The Context of the Work
• Interface Quality for Web GIS Applications
• Goal and Contributions
• User Interface Analysis of Web GIS Applications
  using ISO 9241
• Case Study
• Conclusions

3
The Context of the Work

• The diversity of Web GIS application users
  demands investigation in the quality of
  human-computer interaction
• Interface quality involves several factors
• quality of the interface design process
• quality of the product
• usage experience

4
Goal

• Investigating the use of ISO 9241 standard, to
  inspect the interface quality of Web GIS
  applications
• Case Study with some Web GIS applications

5
ISO 9241

• It consists of 17 parts, under the general
  heading of Ergonomic Requirements for Office Work
  with Visual Display Terminals (VDTs)

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ISO 9241 Parts

• General Introduction
• Guidance on Task Requirements
• Visual Display Requirements
• Keyboard Requirements
• Workstation Layout and Postural Requirements
• Guidance on the Work Environment
• Requirements for Display with Reflections
• Requirements for Displayed Colours

• Requirements for Non-keyboard Input Devices
• Dialogue Principles
• Guidance on Usability
• Presentation of Information
• User Guidance
• Menu Dialogues
• Command Dialogues
• Direct Manipulation Dialogues
• Form Filling Dialogue

451/1321 Norms
7
Case Study

• We chose applications with emphasis on
  agricultural systems
• FUNCEME, SIMEPAR and Agritempo
• The Static Maps Server category is more
  frequently found
• The Maps Generator category allows more
  interaction possibilities than the Static Maps
  Server

8
FUNCEME Static Maps Server
SIMEPAR Static Maps Server
Agritempo Map Generator
9
Analysis Overview
10
Analysis Overview
11
Analysis Overview
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Preliminary Results

• Results suggest that the evaluated applications
  have more problems related to ISO 9241-10
  (Dialogue Principles)
• task adequateness, controllability, user
  expectations conformity, customization
  adequateness, learning adequateness, etc
• ISO 9241-14 (Menu Dialogues), which is related to
  menu organization and dialogue structure

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ISO 9241-10 Dialogue Principles
10-3.6.2 Errors should be explained to help the
user to correct them
Violation (Agritempo)
14
ISO 9241-10 Dialogue Principles
10-3.6.2 Errors should be explained to help the
user to correct them
Agreement (FUNCEME)
15
ISO 9241-12 Presentation of Information
12-7.5.1 Colors as auxiliary codification
colors should never be used as the only means of
codification
Violation (SIMEPAR)
16
ISO 9241-12 Presentation of Information
12-7.5.1 Colors as auxiliary codification
colors should never be used as the only means of
codification
Agreement (Agritempo)
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ISO 9241-13 User Guidance
13-5.3.2 Phrases do enhance the users control
perception
Violation (FUNCEME)
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ISO 9241-13 User Guidance
13-5.3.2 Phrases do enhance the users control
perception
Agreement (Agritempo)
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ISO 9241-14 Menu Dialogues
14-6.1.5 A menu map should clearly represent the
menus system structure and should be available
when necessary
Violation (SIMEPAR)
20
ISO 9241-14 Menu Dialogues
14-6.1.5 A menu map should clearly represent the
menus system structure and should be available
when necessary
Agreement (Agritempo)
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Discussion

• The evaluated applications strongly violate norm
  9241-10, which deals with dialogue principles
• This suggests that these applications have
  deficiencies in factors related to task execution
  and controllability
• Some norms do not fit in the Web GIS applications
  context e.g
• Norm 10-3.6.5 Error situations may be deferred
• In some situations, it is necessary to support
  immediate decisions on the considered problem

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Conclusions

• This kind of analysis has shown usefulness and
  should be adopted by application designers
• to help them finding out potential problems in
  user interaction
• Characterized as an important tool for those who
  would like to search certification for their
  products
• We have verified that the interface evaluation of
  web applications in general need some additional
  criteria and rules
• We are now developing research work in this
  direction

23
Acknowledgment

• Organizer Committee of GEOINFO2004

Contact Information
Juliano Schimiguel juliano.schimiguel_at_ic.unicamp.b
r http//www.ic.unicamp.br/ra000496/ LIS
Laboratory of Information Systems http//www.lis.i
c.unicamp.br/ ComunIHC Community in
Human-Computer Interaction of Campinas, SP and
Region http//www.comunihc.unicamp.br/