The possibility of digital interactivity requires us to reenvision the map reader as the map user, and to address the perceptual, cognitive, cultural, and practical considerations that influence the user's experience with interactive maps and visualizations. In this article, we present an agenda for empirical research on this user and the interactive designs he or she employs. The research agenda is a result of a multi-stage discussion among international scholars facilitated by the International Cartographic Association that included an early round of position papers and two subsequent workshops to narrow into pressing themes and important research opportunities. The focus of our discussion is epistemological and reflects the wide interdisciplinary influences on user studies in cartography. The opportunities are presented as imperatives that cross basic research and user-centered design studies, and identify practical impediments to empirical research, emerging interdisciplinary recommendations to improve user studies, and key research needs specific to the study of interactive maps and visualizations.

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This research investigates subjective user preference for using Floor Plans and Schematic Maps in an indoor environment, and how users locate and orient themselves when using these representations. We sought to verify the efficiency of these two kinds of digital maps and evaluate which elements found in physical environments and which elements found in the representations influence the user spatial orientation process. Users answered questions and performed orientation tasks which indicated their level of familiarity with the area being studied, their understanding of the symbology used, and their identification of Points of Interest (POI) in the environment. The initial results indicated a preference for the Schematic Map, because users thought that the symbology used on the map adopted was easy to understand.

Os mapas táteis são produtos cartográficos que comunicam informações de natureza geográfica para pessoas com deficiência visual. A maioria das variáveis gráficas visuais pode ser representada em alto relevo, com exceção da variável cor. Contudo, o uso de códigos de cores em mapa tátil pode ser uma alternativa para incluir a capacidade cognitiva das pessoas cegas sobre as cores. Assim, este trabalho visou avaliar a eficiência e eficácia do sistema de código de cores See Color em dois mapas isarítmicos representando temperatura. Em um experimento, avaliaram-se os desempenhos na leitura e na interpretação de dois esquemas de cores para dados ordenados utilizando o See Color.  Seis voluntários deficientes visuais participaram da avaliação, sendo: três cegos congênitos e três com cegueira adquirida. A princípio, o sistema See Color apresentou-se viável para comunicar a informação temática com código de cores em relevo para usuários cegos adquiridos. Diferentes esquemas de cores podem alterar o desempenho na comunicação cartográfica e a representação de cores claras ou escuras pelo See Color requer mais atenção do usuário, porque as cores terciárias incluem mais detalhes, requerendo mais atenção do usuário. Os leitores com cegueira adquirida apresentaram melhor desempenho na leitura dos mapas, quando comparados aos cegos congênitos. Assim, sugere-se o aprofundamento dos estudos sobre usabilidade do sistema em mapas táteis, considerando outros tipos de deficiência visual, materiais táteis, métodos de implementação e experiência dos usuários com mapas.

Maps support many planning activities, from general purpose tasks to in-depth spatial analyses. However, preferences and intuitions, which occur in all human interactions, are often disregarded in use and user research in cartography, and there is evidences that analysis of these factors is desirable. It is commonly believed that there is a positive correlation between subjective preference and objective performance, and there is agreement about the main role of media in map comprehension. To investigate this topic, quantitative experiments were performed, based on a real situation in which students need to make decisions about public health care management in a city. Users were asked about their preferences with respect to map type, and performances in carrying out tasks were measured. The results indicate that for simple visual comparison tasks, the proposed Web map framework was adequate. However, this was not the case for reasoning tasks, where weak performances were registered. Also, user preference among visual variables seemed to be unrelated to better performance, and since performances were poor, the important role played by interface usability and attractiveness in map use is verified. RÉSUMÉLes cartes appuient de nombreuses activités de planification, depuis les tâches générales jusqu'aux analyses spatiales approfondies. Souvent, la recherche sur l'utilisation et les utilisateurs menée en cartographie ne tient toutefois pas compte des préférences et des intuitions qui existent dans tous les échanges humains et des éléments de preuve indiquent qu'il est souhaitable d'analyser ces facteurs. On croit couramment qu'il y a un lien positif entre la préférence subjective et le rendement objectif et l'on s'entend sur le rôle de premier plan que jouent les médias dans la compréhension des cartes. Pour analyser ce sujet, on a procédé à des expériences quantitatives basées sur des situations de la vie réelle au cours desquelles des étudiants doivent prendre des décisions sur la gestion des soins de santé publics dans une ville. On a demandé aux utilisateurs d'indiquer leurs préférences quant au type de carte et l'on a mesuré leur rendement dans l'exécution de tâches. Les résultats indiquent que le cadre cartographique Web proposé suffit pour des comparaisons visuelles simples, mais non pour des tâches de raisonnement à l'égard desquelles les utilisateurs ont produit un rendement médiocre. Il a aussi semblé n'y avoir aucun lien entre la préférence des utilisateurs à l'égard des variables visuelles et un meilleur rendement. Comme le rendement était médiocre, les résultats vérifient le rôle important que joue le caractère utilisable et attrayant de l'interface dans l'utilisation des cartes.

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