Web Application User Interface Design: Improving the User Experience

The idea here was to introduce the basics of user interface (UI) design. Since I touch on that in my GIS course, I was interested in getting an ESRI perspective.

There are three kinds of users for Web apps, typically, stated the presenter:

1. visitors - mixed experiences, little GIS experience
2. employees - used as part of their job, typically higher motivation, more likely to “endure” usability issues
3. customers - people that pay to use the application, they have the highest expectations and their response has a great impact on your organization’s reputation

The goal of the application is to meet the user’s expectations, meet their needs, and provide a positive experience.

I got a bit skeptical here because no principles were offered and a slow march began out of the room. I stayed a bit longer, but when no user interface examples were shown, as we got to the halfway point, I got ready to leave. I heard as I was leaving that the next part would be a discussion of the user interface of the 3D routing app announced on that very day. Those in the audience were being asked to evaluate a new and complex app’s UI, without any basic concepts.

I love the idea of this topic at any GIS conference, but this presentation didn’t work for me.

Promoting Collaboration in the Academic Community with GIS

I had my idea of what "promoting collaboration" might mean, but the three papers offered an even broader perspective.

Foundation for California Community Colleges

The GIS collaborative was brought together to create an infrastructure for GIS within the system for the system. The system has 100 campuses. (25% of all US community college students attend one of them!) Many of the campuses wanted information about their own districts, but also about neighboring ones. So, they set up an ArcGIS Server with central hosting and a Web portal.

Student Conservation Association (SCA)

This is a “placement” organization for student interns involved in conservation. It places students in paid internships with many government agencies and some private companies. SCA hosts an ArcGIS Server implementation to manage its recruiting and in time its alumni. I was very impressed a non-profit like this could take on and implement this sort of system.

Kansas State

This was the only real “collaboration” paper per my definition. K-state’s geography department hired a GIS coordinator to build a network of existing and potential GIS users in 2000. A vice provost, down the road, wanted to have every student run into GIScience. It’s noteworthy that the provost of the university is Duane Nellis, a geographer, which I learned later was both an asset (he got it!) and liability (he could be seen to be favoring his program).

Key lessons learned in building this very successful network (ESRI site license, SAG award, etc.):

- building social networks is key - be sure to listen
- document success and what more is possible
- identify and nurture upper administration champions
- cultivate power of non-geographers who “get” geo - they are great advocates