Nick Bearman's presentation in the 2nd Workdshop on usability of geographic information, 23rd March 2010 at UCL, London. See details at http://www.virart.nottingham.ac.uk/GI%20Usability/index.html

1. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability of GI – Case Study
using Address Locations
Nick Bearman
PhD
School of Environmental Science
University of East Anglia
n.bearman@uea.ac.uk

2. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Introduction
• Background
– “Using sound to represent uncertainty in spatial data”
• Today
– Usability of OS MasterMap® Address Layer 2
• Usability is important
• But usability of the data is very intertwined with how it is represented
– particularly if the users have to represent it themselves

3. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Introduction
• Background
– “Using sound to represent uncertainty in spatial data”
• Today
– Usability of OS MasterMap® Address Layer 2
• Usability is important
• But usability of the data is very intertwined with how it is represented
– particularly if the users have to represent it themselves

4. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
OS MasterMap ® Address Layer 2
11B Clarendon Road
Norwich
NR2 2PN

5. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
OS MasterMap ® Address Layer 2
11B Clarendon Road
Norwich
NR2 2PN

6. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
OS MasterMap ® Address Layer 2
11B Clarendon Road
Norwich
NR2 2PN

7. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
OS MasterMap ® Address Layer 2
11B Clarendon Road
Norwich
NR2 2PN

8. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
AL2 Status Flags
Code Type Description
OS_SF_MS OS Match Status The quality of the match between Ordnance
Survey data and Royal Mail address data.
OS_SF_PS OS Physical Status The existence of the building/structure.
OS_SF_PQA OS Position The accuracy of the geographical position, as
Accuracy a result of how it was acquired.
OS_SF_PQ OS Position Status Whether the address is in a final or
provisional geographical position.
OS_SF_ST OS Structure Type Whether the structure is permanent or
temporary.
Value Description
Surveyed Within the building that the address refers to.
Approximate Usually within 50m.
Postcode Unit Mean Mean position calculated from correctly located points within the postcode unit (e.g.
NR4 6AA is a postcode unit).
Estimate Usually within 100m.
Postcode Sector Mean Mean position calculated from correctly located points within the postcode sector
(e.g. NR4 6__ is a postcode sector).

9. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
AL2 Status Flags
Code Type Description
OS_SF_MS OS Match Status The quality of the match between Ordnance
Survey data and Royal Mail address data.
OS_SF_PS OS Physical Status The existence of the building/structure.
OS_SF_PQA OS Position The accuracy of the geographical position, as
Accuracy a result of how it was acquired.
OS_SF_PQ OS Position Status Whether the address is in a final or
provisional geographical position.
OS_SF_ST OS Structure Type Whether the structure is permanent or
temporary.
Value Description
Surveyed Within the building that the address refers to.
Approximate Usually within 50m.
Postcode Unit Mean Mean position calculated from correctly located points within the postcode unit (e.g.
NR4 6AA is a postcode unit).
Estimate Usually within 100m.
Postcode Sector Mean Mean position calculated from correctly located points within the postcode sector
(e.g. NR4 6__ is a postcode sector).

10. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
AL2 Status Flags Cottage
Merrifield
Code Type TR16 5DA
Description
OS_SF_MS OS Match Status The quality of the match between Ordnance
Survey data and Royal Mail address data.
OS_SF_PS OS Physical Status The existence of the building/structure.
OS_SF_PQA OS Position The accuracy of the geographical position, as
Accuracy a result of how it was acquired.
OS_SF_PQ OS Position Status Whether the address is in a final or
provisional geographical position.
OS_SF_ST OS Structure Type Whether the structure is permanent or
temporary.
Value Description
Surveyed Within the building that the address refers to.
Approximate Usually within 50m.
Postcode Unit Mean Mean position calculated from correctly located points within the postcode unit (e.g.
NR4 6AA is a postcode unit).
Estimate Usually within 100m.
Postcode Sector Mean Mean position calculated from correctly located points within the postcode sector
(e.g. NR4 6__ is a postcode sector).

11. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Why is the data not used?
• Knowledge about the data
– The fact that it is there
– The fact it is important & what it means

12. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Why is the data not used?
• Knowledge about the data
– The fact that it is there
– The fact it is important & what it means
• Usability of the data
– Information itself
– Visualisation used
– Application used
– Complex interaction of application,
visualisation and information

13. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Why is the data not used?
• Knowledge about the data
– The fact that it is there
– The fact it is important & what it means
• Usability of the data
– Information itself
– Visualisation used
– Application used

14. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Why is the data not used?
• Knowledge about the data
– The fact that it is there
– The fact it is important & what it means
• Usability of the data
– Information itself
– Visualisation used
– Application used
– Complex interaction of application,
visualisation and information

15. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Information
• Knowing the information is there

16. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Information
• Knowing the information is there
• How the information is represented
within the data
AL2 - Value
Surveyed
Approximate
Postcode Unit Mean
Estimate
Postcode Sector Mean

17. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Information
• Knowing the information is there
• How the information is represented
Address Point
within the data
AL2 - Value
Surveyed
Approximate
Postcode Unit Mean
Estimate
Postcode Sector Mean

18. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Visualisation
Visualisation of uncertainty data needs to
be clear without obscuring the original
data.

19. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Visualisation
Visualisation of uncertainty data needs to
London Crime Finnish Town
be clear without obscuring the original
data.
http://kbark.wordpress.com/2006/12/17/where-am-i/ (18/03/2009)
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/policing-and-crime/
new-police-crime-maps-confusing--$1272816.htm (18/03/2009)

20. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Sound Demo

21. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Application
• GIS Applications are not designed to
deal with uncertainty

22. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Application
• GIS Applications are not designed to
deal with uncertainty

23. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Usability Issues: Application
• GIS Applications are not designed to
deal with uncertainty

24. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Complex Interaction:
Application + Visualisation + Information
Finnish Town
AL2 - Value
Surveyed
Approximate
Postcode Unit Mean
Estimate
Postcode Sector Mean
http://kbark.wordpress.com/2006/12/17/where-am-i/ (18/03/2009)

25. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Why/How should use be increased?
• Why is easy:
– issues with use of uncertainty data,
– routing applications
• How is trickier:
– More education about what uncertainty
means
– More available / accessible metadata /
uncertainty information

26. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Reflection on Evaluation Issues
Evaluating the Usability of Sound / Data (ish)
• Did respondents get distracted by interface
issues?
– They were used to ArcGIS, so it was not novel,
but the interface probably limited what they could
get out of the sonification
• The method of sonification – movement of
mouse, hard to remember all of the sounds.
Next case study will be different as I am not
limiting myself to GIS users.

27. Address Usability Usability Usability
Background Evaluation
Layer 2 Data Visualisation Complex
Summary
• Usability is important
• AL2 has useful uncertainty data in it
– But it’s often ignored
• Potentially because:
– Knowledge that information is there
– Information in difficult to access format
– Ability to visualise data
– Ability of application to utilise data
• Sound might help with this
• But need to remember the user – they need to know
it is important in order to utilise the data