Usability of interactive and non-interactive visualisation of uncertain geospatial information.

Gerharz L, Pebesma E

Abstract

Showing uncertainties of geospatial data in maps in a useful and comprehensible way for skilled and unskilled users is a problem that is still not solved ultimately. To evaluate the usability of some commonly used visualisation techniques with a special focus on interactivity, an explorative study has been conducted with ten interviewees with a geosciences background. Each participant was asked to solve tasks and give personal opinions on three methods applied to the same data set. As an outcome, uncertainty was considered as being helpful for decision making in general. The results also show a clear preference for the simplest method of displaying value and uncertainty in adjacent maps, whereas the more sophisticated Aguila visualisation system was judged as helpful for expert users. Interactivity for the methods was preferred by the majority of the users.