Making Useful and Useable Geovisualization: Design and Evaluation Issues

This chapter provides an introduction of methods and research questions associated with user-centered geovisualization tool design, bridging the gap between developers and users. To stimulate the development of geovisualization theory, issues from Computer Science, Information Visualization, Geoinformation Science, Geography, and Cartography are discussed. Influenced by recent developments within the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community developers of geovisualization environments are becoming increasingly concerned with the usability of their tools. Currently, most geovisualization is based on accumulated experience codified in procedures, written design rules, and unwritten individual and group knowledge. Geovisualization theory can be divided into two broad categories: that comes from other disciplines such as Perceptual Science, Cognitive Science, or applied disciplines such as Human-Computer Interaction. There is also theory developed specifically in the context of geovisualization. Although theory may originate from some other disciplines, the role of geovisualization researchers will be to extend it in ways that are specific to geovisualization. Nowadays geovisualization tools are applied in and developed for a broader geosoftware market with the goal of providing useful and usable geovisualization.