How 2.5D Maps Design Improve the Wayfinding Performance and Spatial Ability of Map Users

Useful information can be provided by 2.5D maps that can take advantage of the additional dimension. However, aside from stereoscopic landmarks, optimal methods for presenting other essential information is unclear. Two experiments were conducted to explore how the presentation of 2.5D maps can effectively increase wayfinding performance. First, analysis was performed to understand the effects of 2.5D maps on wayfinding behavior and map reading. Then, a 2.5D map design was proposed and verified to optimize the 2.5D map presentation of urban environments. The results showed that compared with users of low view angle maps, those using high view angle maps orientated more easily with elements of the map during wayfinding tasks. High view angle maps allowed superior performance, and including transparency and lines improved wayfinding performance. The participants using maps that were opaque and with lines exhibited the most confusion and hesitation. The participants who used maps that were transparent and had lines exhibited the least confusion and hesitation. Highlighting buildings at intersections can help map users use the intersections as references and increase their intuitive spatial ability.

Filming the Historical Geography: Story from the Realm of Maps in Regensburg

Research on a specific topic requires the individualized cartographic methods of work that may be defined as the Realm of Maps. The double dimensionality in the Realm of Maps is understood here as a physical place—a studio workroom—and as a research method. In this study, we focused on the way of presenting a research method designed to study the topic of historico-geographical space in the form of a short film story. The second purpose is to indicate the legitimacy of combining two dimensions of working with maps, the real one and the virtual one, to be able to collect cartographic and descriptive sources in one scientific center. Our research on the Story from the Realm of Maps in Regensburg: ‘People Movement in Southeast Europe’ included a concept adopted by cartographical, historical, and geographical sources; the construction of a studio workroom; a script draft; individual sequences of the story in different types of media; editing the video, along with publishing it on an online video-sharing platform. We used as many different types of geomedia as possible, which, on the one hand, boosts the attractiveness of the film and, on the other, may hamper the proper perception of the main film plot. Finally, we recommend principles of map design for the film, with analog maps and maps created specifically for the short film, published using online video-sharing platforms.

Pedagogically-Informed Knowledge Mapping: Representing Contextualised Competences

Knowledge mapping tools in the educational technology domain currently support learners and teachers in creating and visualizing a knowledge repository, usually of subject matter content or links to such content. This research proposes a pedagogically-informed knowledge map design, where knowledge is conceptualised as a contextualized competence, and proposes a tool for creating and visualizing knowledge and recommending appropriate learning and teaching materials. An experiment is reported which found that the use of knowledge mapping and the tool significantly correlated with academic performance.

Crisis Map Design Considering Map Cognition

Crisis maps play a significant role in emergency responses. Users are challenged to interpret a map rapidly in emergencies, with limited visual information-processing resources and under time pressure. Therefore, cartographic techniques are required to facilitate their map cognition. In this study, we analyzed the exogenous and endogenous disruptions that users needed to overcome when they were reading maps. The analysis results suggested that cartographers’ taking the stressors into consideration could promote the cognitive fit between cartographers and users, improving map cognition and spatial information supply–demand matching. This paper also elaborates the course of map visual information processing and related graphic variables to visual attention attributes. To improve the users’ map cognition in time-critical emergency situations, crisis map design principles and a methodology were proposed. We developed three fire emergency rescue road maps and performed two evaluations to verify the effectiveness of the principles. Our experiments showed that the principles could effectively facilitate the users’ rapid map perception and proper understanding, by reducing their cognitive load, and could improve the quality of the crisis maps to some extent.

Searching for an Optimal Hexagonal Shaped Enumeration Unit Size for Effective Spatial Pattern Recognition in Choropleth Maps

Thoughtful consideration of the enumeration unit size in choropleth map design is important to ensure the correct communication of spatial information. However, the enumeration unit size and its influence on pattern conveying in choropleth maps have not yet been the subject of in-depth empirical studies. This research aims to address this gap. We focused on the issue concerning whether the ability to recognize spatial patterns on an Equal Area Unit Map is related to the hexagonal enumeration unit size, defined by the number of pixels. The aim is to indicate the range of the enumeration unit sizes, namely, at what point the upper and lower borders of the range where the spatial patterns start, and where the end is visible and recognizable by users. To address this problem, we conducted an empirical study with 488 users. The results show that the enumeration unit size has an impact on the users’ spatial pattern recognition abilities. Choropleth maps with enumeration unit sizes of 26, 52, and 104 pixels were, in the majority, indicated by participants as those most suitable for indicating spatial patterns. This was in contrast to choropleth maps with enumeration unit sizes of 1664 and 3328 pixels, which users indicated as not being useful. However, there were some exceptions to this general finding. Thus, determining the optimal enumeration unit size is a challenging task, and requires further insightful investigations.

Mendesain Meja Dan Kursi Ergonomi Dengan Mengacu Pada Nilai Antropometri Untuk Bagian Checking Rubber (Outsole) Di PT. Victory Chingluh Indonesia

PT. Victory Chingluh Indonesia is a company engaged in the manufacture of sports shoes in collaboration with an American brand, namely Nike. From the results of the Nordic Body Map Questionnaire at the PPIC RH department of the checking ruber section, many workers have complaints in the muscles (musculoskeletal disorders) due to non-ergonomic workplaces as many as 20 workers or 64.5% feel pain in the high category, as many as 8 workers or 25, 8% felt pain in the moderate category, for the category of pain with very high intensity as many as 2 workers or 6.4% and 1 worker or 3.2% felt pain in the low category. From these results, it is necessary to take further action by making ergonomic designs of Working Furnitures (tables and chairs) with reference to anthropometric values. With this reference, we get a table design with a length of 133.6 cm using the 5th percentile, a table width of 66.8 cm with a 5th percentile and a table height of 63.2 and a chair design with a chair height of 41.2 cm with a 50th percentile. -, the width of the seat base is 40.5 cm with the 95th percentile, it is expected that workers who have a maximum hip width can use the chair, the length of the seat base is 37.8 cm with the 5th percentile, the height of the seat back is 54.5 cm with the 50th percentile th and the width of the seat backrest is 48.9 cm with the 95th percentile. Keywords: Ergonomics, Anthropometry, musculoskeletal disorders. Nordic body map, design

Modeling Patterns in Map Use Contexts and Mobile Map Design Usability

Mobile map applications are increasingly used in various aspects of our lives, leading to an increase in different map use situations and, therefore, map use contexts. Several empirical usability studies have identified how map design is associated with and impacted by selected map use context attributes. This research seeks to expand on these studies and analyzes combinations of map use contexts to identify relevant contextual factors that influence mobile map design usability. In a study with 50 participants from Colombia, we assessed in an online survey the usability of 27 map design variations (consisting of three map-reading tasks, three base map styles, and three interactivity variants). We found that the overall map design is critical in supporting map-reading activities (e.g., identifying a location on a map was supported by a simplified base map, whereas selecting points on the map was supported by a more detailed base map). We then evaluated user patterns in the collected data with archetypal analysis. It was possible to create archetypal representations of the participants with a corresponding map design profile and establish a workflow for modeling patterns in usability and context data. We recommend that future research continues assessing archetypal analysis as it provides a means for context-based decision-making on map design adaptation and transferability.