This document summarizes a presentation on geovisualization and future human-computer interactions. It discusses how geovisualization involves highly interactive interfaces for exploring location data. It also examines how human-computer interaction research is increasingly focusing on broader social contexts rather than just precise interface measurements. The document presents a case study of Parks Victoria where mobile probes were used to understand how rangers relate to and learn about their environment through social, spatial, and temporal practices. It concludes by discussing how this research can inform the design of new geovisualization technologies and interfaces.

1. Geovisualisation: Future
Interactions and Social Contexts
Chris Marmo, William Cartwright and Jeremy Yuille.
RMIT University
Wednesday, 14 December 11

2. Today...
• Geovisualisation & Human-Computer
Interaction
• The role of design research
• Case study
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3. Geovisualisation = Geovisual Analytics
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4. Geovisual Analytics is “the exploration of location data
through highly interactive interfaces”
Fabrikant & Lobben, 2009
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5. =
High degrees of Studying interface
interaction performance and use.
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6. Geovisual Analytics is “the exploration of location data
through highly interactive interfaces”
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7. Interface?
Desktop Mobile ?
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8. Ubiquitous computing
Our environments are at once physical, social
and digital.
Geoplaced Knowledge - Chris Marmo
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9. HCI’s Turn to Practice
• Less focus on precise measurement of
interface and human performance
• More focus on broader social contexts
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10. ?
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11. ?
Practice
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12. ?
Practice
How do people relate to
and learn about their
environment?
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13. ?
Practice Alternative
Interfaces
How do people relate to
and learn about their
environment?
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14. ?
Practice Alternative
Interfaces
How do people relate to How do we communicate
and learn about their location-based data beyond
environment? desk-bound screens?
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15. Case Study: Parks Victoria
Geoplaced Knowledge - Chris Marmo
Wednesday, 14 December 11

16. Practice: Mobile Probe
Probes are a generative design method aimed at
inducing an autobiographical account of daily
activities, in order to make ‘the ordinary’ visible to
designers.
Gaver et al., 1999
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17. Mobile Probe
• Six participants
• 72 total entries
• All geo-tagged, mixed-media
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18. Studying interactions with space
Reading the cloud - Chris Marmo
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19. Early Findings
Social Spatial
Temporal
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20. Social Practice
• Understandings of the park were negotiated
through conversations and story-telling.
• These understandings were shared.
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21. Spatial Practice
Landscapes were a common vocabulary
“A group of us here in different teams had a bit of down
time so we decided to take a walk around the Lou-ann
Boardwalk. It’s amazing to see how the banks have
changed. Some of the banks of the river have changed,
the course of the river has changed.” – Participant 3.
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22. Temporal Practice
• Past experience was a lens through which
rangers understood current events
• Layers of information formed over time
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23. Design Inspiration
• Using Social, Temporal & Spatial aspects of
environmental understanding to design
technologies.
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24. 1st Interface
• In-situ exploration of location based data.
• Spatially represent audio and photographic
narratives of a place.
• Encourage rangers to form an understanding of
the park through other’s perspectives.
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25. 2nd Interface
• A portable, tangible device that communicates
the absence (or presence) of data about a place.
• Encourage the use of and contribution to the
first system.
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26. Conclusions
• Much work is occurring around the
measurement of specific interface
performance.
• Combining this with a study of broader social
contexts can inform future interaction design.
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27. Thanks!
chris.marmo@student.rmit.edu.au
Acknowledgements:
Prof. William Cartwright, Mr. Jeremy Yiuille. The support of the ARC and the broader Geoplaced Knowledge project team. Marmo
Geoplaced Knowledge - Chris
Wednesday, 14 December 11