Robert Vogler

User-Centred Map Applications Through Participatory Design: Experiences Gained During the ‘YouthMap 5020’ Project

In recent years, the concepts of usability, user experience, and user-centricity have gained in interest. Digital applications, developed in line with criteria related to these approaches, ask for a deeper understanding of users and their requirements. But, even though there is a wide range of methods available, the creation of user-centric applications with good usability and user experience still poses great challenges for developers. This is also true for web maps, i.e. web map applications, which today are ubiquitous on the Internet. They have evolved into an important information and communication tool and address users who do not possess any specific knowledge of Geoinformatics (GI) or Cartography. Despite the efforts made to meet the requirements and preferences of laymen, these users still often face problems when dealing with web map applications. This refers to aspects of design, content, and functionality. Here, participatory design, which is well-known in the field of Software and Web Engineering, might provide a suitable means. By engaging users directly and actively in the application development process, developers are able to gain a profound understanding of the users and their needs. However, there are several open questions regarding the use of participatory design for designing and implementing web map applications: What does the use of participatory design in web map development processes look like in detail? How and to what degree can users be involved in the development processes? Which added values exist? These questions are addressed by the project YouthMap 5020, whose main goal it was to create a prototype youth-centric web map for the Austrian city of Salzburg (zip code 5020). Applying the approach of participatory design, about 120 teenage pupils from several local schools were involved in all kinds of tasks related to the phases of generating the youth-centric Salzburg web city map. Experience and knowledge gained thereby allowed elaborating recommendations generally useful for generating youth-centric web map applications.

geo@web. Zur Entfaltung und Anverwandlung eines neuen Forschungsfeldes

Als am 9. Januar 2007 auf der Messe Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco erstmals der Prototyp eines Apple Smartphones mit Multi-Touch- Bedienung offentlich prasentiert wurde, konnte wohl noch niemand erahnen, welche Lawine der daraufhin folgende Marktstart dieses ersten iPhones in Gang setzen wurde. Was war, ganz abgesehen von der gelungenen Marketingstrategie, in technischer Hinsicht so besonders an diesem Gerat? Streng genommen ist anzumerken: Nichts! Der kleine Taschencomputer mit Telefonfunktion fuhrte lediglich Handy, MP3-Player und Internet-Schnittstelle in einem Gerat zusammen – veredelt mit einem attraktiven Design.