Building City Dashboards for Different Types of Users

ABSTRACT

City dashboard websites are a common modality for bringing open-government philosophies into the public domain. Yet, there has been little research concerning the optimum design for city dashboards that takes account of users’ expectations and skills. Indeed, there has been minimal exploration of user-centered design (UCD) to improve the usability and utility of smart city technologies in general. This study sought to conduct a user evaluation analysis to inform a UCD approach to city dashboards. Interviews with different types of users were conducted that applied a protocol analysis to gain insight into user perspectives and experiences of city dashboards. Along with critical incident technique procedures, interaction data of critical significance to the user was collected and a content analysis was conducted. These qualitative data were used to determine representations of users, as identified through observed behaviors, attitudes, needs, and goals. Targeted-scope user experience personas for the design process were then constructed to represent and build empathy towards three potential users of city dashboard systems: novices, end-users, and advanced users. The collected user requirements and the personas formulated are underpinning the re-design of an existing city dashboard.

KEYWORDS:

• City dashboards
• smart cities
• user requirements
• user models
• user-centered design

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors

Additional information

Funding

The research in this paper was funded by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), under the Investigators’ Award Program [award number 15/IA/3090].

Notes on contributors

Gareth W. Young

Gareth W. Young is a postdoctoral researcher on the V-Sense project, School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Rob Kitchin

Rob Kitchin is Professor of Human Geography in the Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute and Department of Geography at Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland.

Jeneen Naji

Jeneen Naji is Digital Practice Coordinator and Digital Media Faculty in the Department of Media Studies at Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland.