A Competitive Analysis of Web-based Water Level Visualization Tools

CartoCon 201426 FebruaryOlomouc, Czech Republic

Robert E. Roth, Chloe Quinn, & David HartUniversity of Wisconsin‒Madison, United States of AmericaContact: reroth@wisc.edu | @RobertERoth

This work is supported by NOAA Grant #NA13OAR4170213

1. Introduction: NOAA Lake Level ViewerClimate Change Adaptation

2

2. Background: NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewerhttp://csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slrviewer

3

42. Background: NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewerhttp://csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slrviewer

52. Background: NOAA Lake Level Viewer

3. MethodUsability Engineering /User-Centered Design /Use & User Issues

6 after Roth (2011)

3. Method

competitive analysis: a usability engineering method administered to critically compare a suite of similar applications according their relative merits

potentially appropriate when:

1. the design/development team knows little about the application domain

2. there are limited project resources for a user-based needs assessment

3. there are a large number of competing applications with similar functionality

4. there is a previous version of the visualization tool already in use

after Nielsen (1992), and others

3. MethodSample of Visualization Tools

Freq. Layer

6 U.S. Federal Agencies

3 U.S. State Agencies

4 University Research Centers

6 Non-profit Agencies

3 Private Industry / Independent Consultant

3 Cross-agency Partnerships

25 Total

8

3. MethodCoding Scheme

Theme Topic

1 Cartographic Representation

1a Representation of the Waterline/Flood Extent

1b Representation of Uncertainty

1c Representation of Context Information

2 Cartographic Interaction

2a Interaction Operator Functionality

2b Web Mapping Technology

9

Theme Topic

1 Cartographic Representation

1a Representation of the Waterline/Flood Extent

1b Representation of Uncertainty

1c Representation of Context Information

2 Cartographic Interaction

2a Interaction Operator Functionality

2b Web Mapping Technology

103. MethodCoding Scheme

4. Results: Representation of Waterline/Flood ExtentVisual Variable Framework

after Bertin (1967), others

11

12

location/extent of flooding

flood depth

13

4. Results: Representation of Waterline/Flood ExtentNOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer

14

flood-focused solution

154. Results: Representation of Waterline/Flood ExtentNOAA Lake Level Viewer Mockup

flooded vs. exposed

Type Definition

Accuracy/Error the correctness or freedom from mistake of a measurement or estimate

Precision/Resolution

the exactness or degree of refinement of a measurement or estimate

Trustworthiness

a catch-all category for additional considerations regarding the dependability or confidence the user has in the information

currency the time span from occurrence through information collection/processing to use

completeness the extent to which information is comprehensive

consistency the extent to which information components agree

credibility the reliability of the information source

subjectivity the extent to which human interpretation or judgment is involved in information construction

interrelatedness the source independence from other information

lineage the conduit through which information has passed

4. Results: Representation of UncertaintyTaxonomy of Geospatial Information Uncertainties

after MacEachren, Robinson, et al. (2005)

16

17

confidence

18

completeness

194. Results: Representation of UncertaintyNOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer

communicating multiple

uncertainties

4. Results: Interaction Operator FunctionalityInteraction Primitives

20

after Roth (2012; 2013), and others

21

‘slippy’ map operators

22

filter vs. search

23

missed opportunitie

s

1. The competitive analysis method proved useful for identifying best practices in web-based water level visualization tools, supplementing a user-based needs assessment study.

2. The competitive analysis method suggested possible opportunities for the NOAA Lake Level Viewer, enriching the functional requirements of the tool.

3. The competitive analysis method revealed potential gaps between theory and practice, problematizing suboptimal solutions and stimulating discussion about innovation.

5. Conclusions/Take-home PointsUsing the Competitive Analysis Method

24

A Competitive Analysis of Web-based Water Level Visualization Tools

CartoCon 201426 FebruaryOlomouc, Czech Republic

Robert E. Roth, Chloe Quinn, & David HartUniversity of Wisconsin‒Madison, United States of AmericaContact: reroth@wisc.edu | @RobertERoth

This work is supported by NOAA Grant #NA13OAR4170213