Spatial Interface Design for the Web—A Question of Usability

Abstract

In a web-based environment, a focus, whether intentional or not, on style over content, and technical and technological ‘whiz-bang-ery’ over simplicity and usability, can significantly decrease the usefulness of a product for an end user. This danger can be minimised via increased focus on understanding end user needs, characteristics and preferred modes of interaction combined with actual user involvement in the design, development and testing processes—known as user—centred design. Relatively little is understood about how users interact with web-based spatial interfaces. Many of the issues relating to presenting spatial information in a ‘screen-based’ environment that have been identified over the last decade are yet to be practicably tested in ‘real-world’ environments by either academia or industry. Additionally, the requirement for usable guidelines, rules and principles is yet to be fully met. Although cognitive/perceptual studies are required to fully understand how users interact with spatial con...