ELECTRONIC STREET DIRECTORIES : A PROPOSED USER INTERFACE BASED ON EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GISs) have proved increasingly useful for the storage, retrieval, visualisation and analysis of spatial data. To date, most research has been focused on the use of GIS for professional application, such as environmental management and urban planning. However, an important aspect of GIS technology is concerned with allowing the general user to access spatial data. Electronic street directories offer challenging research in this domain. The aim of this Academic Exercise is to propose a user interface for electronic street directories. Currently, there are a few electronic map viewing programs for public use, principally in the United States. However, the user interfaces for these are generally designed ad hoe. There is therefore a need for an empirical investigation of user requirements. To the author's knowledge, this Academic Exercise is the first project that examines the user interface design for electronic street directories on the basis of empirical research. This study is divided into two main parts. Part A describes the procedures and results of the empirical investigation whilst Part B focuses on the user interface design. The basic premise of this work is that in order for electronic street directories to be widely used, they should be more user-friendly, and offer the user more facilities than current book versions. Hence, in this study, interviews and surveys are conducted with reference to the Singapore Street Directory, this being the street directory respondents in Singapore are most familiar with. Pilot interviews conducted with five users of the Singapore Street Directory suggested that the Directory should fulfill three main functions: locating, route-finding and browsing. This is confirmed by a questionnaire survey, with 61 respondents, which assessed user-satisfaction with the Singapore Street Directory, with special reference to these three functions. Findings of the survey indicate that the present Directory does not meet the needs and preferences of many of the respondents. Thus, the proposed user interface for electronic street directories, besides having an Index and a Map section (which make up the Singapore Street Directory), also includes a Function Kit which allows the user to access required information for each function (i.e., locating, route-finding and browsing) quickly. It also empowers the user to customise the street maps according to specific requirements. For example, users may view a map from a choice of five different scales. The proposed user interface was evaluated by six persons. The interviewees described the user interface as user-friendly. They commented favourably on the many features of the electronic version, especially the flexibility of spatial information query and retrieval. Whilst the empirical survey and conceptual design in the current research project are biased toward the Singapore context, the general findings of the surveys, as well as the proposed user interface, should be applicable to other countries. The user interface of the electronic street directory could also be adapted for other types of GIS where the primary focus is on the general user and the primary function is on map viewing (as opposed to spatial analysis). Examples include electronic atlases, vehicle navigation systems, and public transit information kiosks. In Singapore, such GISs are expected to play a major role in the IT2000 project which aims to provide the country with a national information infrastructure.