Cartographic Design and Usability of Visual Variables for Linear Features

Abstract

This article addresses the measurement and assessment of response times and error rates in map-reading tasks relative to various modes of linear feature visualization. In a between-subject design study, participants completed a set of map-reading tasks generated by approaches to a traffic problem. These entailed quick and correct decoding of graphically represented quantitative and qualitative spatial information. The tasks first involved the decoding of one graphic variable, then of two variables simultaneously. While alternative representations of qualitative information included colour hue and symbol shape, the quantitative information was communicated either through symbol size or colour value. In bivariate tasks, quantitative and qualitative graphical elements were combined in a single display. Individual differences were also examined. The concept of cognitive style partially explains the variability in people’s perception and thinking, describing individual preferences in object representation and problem-solving strategies. The data obtained in the experiment suggest that alternative forms of visualization may have different impacts on performance in map-reading tasks: colour hue and size proved more efficient in communicating information than shape and colour value. Apart from this, it was shown that individual facets of cognitive style may affect task performance, depending on the type of visualization employed.

Keywords:

• cartographic design
• usability
• transport
• cognitive style

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the Programme of ‘Employment of Best Young Scientists for International Cooperation Empowerment’ (grant number CZ1.07/2.3.00/30.0037) co-financed from European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic, by the project ‘Operative travel demand management in case of evacuations and extraordinary events on transport network,’ identification number VG20102014008 provided by the Ministry of Interior, Security Research Programme of the Czech Republic in 2010–2015 (BVII/2-VS), and by the project ‘Geoinformatics as an instrument to support integrated security and rescue operations of state’ identification number VF20142015034 provided by the Ministry of Interior, Security Research for the Needs of the State 2010–2015. The authors would like to thank Aleš Matas for valuable remarks to statistical processing of captured data.

ORCID

Čeněk Šašinka http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6319-5317

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Čeněk Šašinka

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Čeněk Šašinka is a Post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Psychology at Masaryk University in Brno. He is head of the Center for Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Sciences and a member of advisory board of the Hume lab (Experimental Humanities Laboratory). His research interests focus mainly on psychological assessment, cognitive visualization, and differences among individual users in map perception und interpretation processes.