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improving ways to navigate online content |
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is there a middle ground between current textual
/ list type interfaces versus the immersive 3d (cool) interfaces of
Hollywood? |
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from feedback received, it seems like many
people are seeking better navigation tools and interfaces |
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experience from cartography can help |
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examine the potential of information mapping |
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much information seeking is haphazard,
ill-defined. May not know exactly what you are looking for. Iterative and
fluid. Exploration. |
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Scanning – covering a large area quickly and
without depth |
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Browsing – following an undirected path by
associations until you find something of interest |
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Searching – looking for an explicit target |
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Exploring – finding out the full extent and
diversity of what is available |
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Wandering – random and unstructured movement without
purpose |
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maps have been powerful visual interfaces for
understanding the World for several 1000 years |
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maps have been key in framing our understanding
places, their size, shape and the relations between them |
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‘what is where’ and ‘how to get there’ |
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revealing what is hidden. Making the invisible
visible |
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maps have been vital for navigating unknown
territory |
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I’m a geographer, so I believe maps enjoy a
privileged position over other descriptive tools |
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information maps for content navigation |
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wide variety of ‘experiments’ / products |
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visual metaphors |
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dimension (2D, 2.5D, 3D) |
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static - dynamic |
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levels of user interactivity |
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scales of maps |
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individual site maps |
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dynamic surf maps / trail maps / history
visualization |
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large chunks of information space |
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focus on interactive 2d space-filling
information maps |
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the missing ‘up button’ on the browser |
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intelligent summarisation and generalisation |
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3 key advantages: |
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a sense of the whole (the birds eye view / big
picture). What is there around here? |
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revealing hidden connections / structure |
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support interactive browsing |
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Spatialisation – turning content into maps |
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various algorithms |
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Key spatial properties: |
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area |
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position |
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proximity |
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Scale |
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+ the graphic properties of colour, shape,
labeling, etc |
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can we make information maps? |
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Yes |
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can we make really useful information maps? |
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- probably, but maybe not yet |
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how helpful are the current maps in navigating
online content? |
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are the maps just eye candy? |
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the ‘killer map’ is yet to be drawn |
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I want the London Tube map for the Web |
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potential developments |
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surf maps integrated into the browser |
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search engine result maps |
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major usability issues, need evaluation |
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many people have trouble reading maps |
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need very clear metaphors |
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easy modes of interaction and support |
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interesting in themselves. Maps as art? |
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concern for privacy issues. Maps are often used
to monitor, track and control |
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there is no one definitive map |
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all maps maps distort, all maps deceive – some
are deliberate, some are unintentional |
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most obvious being through |
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data selection/omission |
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projections |
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how are maps of information |
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content deceiving? |
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many ways to project content |
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onto a flat map |
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questions ?? I would welcome feedback, email me
at m.dodge@ucl.ac.uk |
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the slides of this presentation are available at
www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/martin/content_summit |
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keep in touch, join the cybergeography news
bulletin - www.cybergeography.org/register.html |
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Notes