This document discusses a redesign of map.geo.admin.ch, a Swiss government web mapping application. It notes that the original design was focused on GIS specialists rather than general users, making many functions difficult to discover and use. A user analysis found issues like unclear printing and drawing tools. The redesign proposal simplifies the interface into four main parts: navigation, search, topics for layers, and functions in one place. It also maximizes the map size and focuses on providing information rather than just data access. The goal is to make the site more intuitive for non-specialists based on applications like Google Maps that most users already know.

1. armasuisse
Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
User-centered design for
map.geo.admin.ch
Cédric Moullet
Head of FSDI Web Infrastructure
@cedricmoullet cedric.moullet@swisstopo.ch

2. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Federal Office of Topography
swisstopo
• Federal Geo-Information center
• 321 employees
• Producer of the swiss national maps
• Operator of the swiss Federal Spatial Data Infrastructure
(FSDI)
• Provider of about 80 geoservices and web mapping
applications federated under «geo.admin.ch: the
geoportal of the Swiss Confederation»
www.swisstopo.admin.ch – www.geo.admin.ch

3. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Agenda
• Geo.admin.ch
• Analysis of map.geo.admin.ch
• Redesign of map.geo.admin.ch

4. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
geo.admin.ch: the geoportal of the
Swiss Confederation
The federal geodata portal is a publicly accessible
platform for geographical information, data and
services.
Geographical information consists of
geographically and spatially referenced data. It
describes the characteristics of a country or region
in the form of coordinates and place names.

5. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Geo.admin.ch: Geoinformation Act
The Geoinformation Act (GeoIG) came into force
on 1st July 2008. It provides the legal framework,
for all activities relating to information about basic
geodata of Federal law and its exchange and use.

6. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Geo.admin.ch: Geoinformation Act
Art. 1 Aim
This Act has the aim of ensuring that geodata
relating to the territory of the Swiss Confederation
is made available for general use to the
authorities of the Confederation, the cantons
and communes, the private sector, the public
and to academic and scientific institutions in a
sustainable, up-to-date, rapid and easy manner, in
the required quality and at a reasonable cost.

7. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
map.geo.admin.ch
Digital data can be viewed, printed out, ordered
and supplied by means of the map viewer tool.
The required data is available in the form of digital
maps and photos, vector data and also as online
services. The desired data is available in the form
of pixel maps, digital images, vector data etc., at a
variety of scales.

8. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
End of theory

9. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
What can I do with
map.geo.admin.ch ?

10. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
10
Navigate in the
map

11. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Add
layers

12. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
What is a layer ?

13. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Change
background

14. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
What is a background
?

15. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Search
for layers
Search for
location, zip,
coordinate

16. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
How many search
functions do you see ?

17. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
?

18. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Share

19. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
?

20. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
KML Import
Measure
WMS Import
Drawing
Compare

21. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Print

22. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
In addition:
Feedback tool
Contextual menu
Tooltip
Metadata
Copyrights

23. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
All in one app
7 parts

24. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Lessons learned
Map navigation:
ok
All other functions:
Not discovered (User survey / user tests)
Not understood (User feedback / user tests)

25. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
FAQ
Where is the print function ?
Can I create a permalink ?
How can I draw in the map ?
How can I add this data ?
Why is the map so small ?
Etc……
… but all these functions exist….

26. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Don’t make me think
!!!
… still 12’000 users per
day ;-)

27. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
-> We need a redesign !

28. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Our main issue ?
We are GIS specialists…

29. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Who are the users ?
Authorities of the Confederation, the cantons and
communes, the private sector, the public and the
academic and scientific institutions
-> Oups, in other words, everyone

30. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
What want the users?
Fast access to information
-> Paradigm change from « Access to data » to
« Access to information »
Federal office -> « We need to publish geodata »
Internet -> « Geodata are maps »
Citizen -> « I need an information »

31. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
What know the users?
Google & Google maps

32. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
What are our constraints and
restrictions ?
Law
Corporate Design Bund

33. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
33
New design proposal

34. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
34
Less parts
4 parts

35. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
More map
More map

36. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
36
Functions
Functions in one place

37. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Navigation
Navigation in one place

38. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Search
Only one central search

39. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Topics
Topics for fast access to layers

40. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
Demo time

41. Federal Office of Topography swisstopo
COSIG
www.geo.admin.ch
map.geo.admin.ch
api.geo.admin.ch
info@geo.admin.ch
Twitter: @swiss_geoportal
THANK YOU