In this module, you will be writing the problem statement and background for your term project proposal, examining the needs assessment, and developing user interface evaluation methods. The needs assessment will allow you to examine and consider your users as well as the different features and designs they expect and require. The evaluation methods will ask you to consider the different needs assessment methods such as focus groups, surveys, and discussions to solicit feedback from your users.

You will also be exploring the Experience Builder from ESRI in an ESRI academy training course, which will culminate in a an ESRI certificate, therefore advancing your professional development and/or GISP (where applicable).

Overall, you will be writing the first three sections of your term project proposal: The background and problem statement, the user analysis section, and the needs assessment methodology section, which should clearly lay the foundation for the readers of your proposal to understand your project background and the users of the geospatial design.

Assignments

Questions?

Please use the Discussion Forum to ask you classmates for additional suggestions as you are drafting your research questions. You can feel free to email me and I will strive to respond within 48 hours. I am also available for a phone call or zoom meeting upon request.

When starting a design, it is important to consider your users through a user centered approach. Two ways to accomplish this is through a scenario based design (Rosson, 2002) and a persona based design.

The user centered approach of a user analysis can help prevent some of the issues that arise with a “solutions first approach”, which focuses on the needs of the design, and not the needs of the users. A solutions first approach can be quicker, simplify the problem, and rely on the expert knowledge of the designers, however, it can lead to inefficient design, frequent iterative fixes, and lost time . Overall, the scenario based design provides an emphasis on the user, user experience, efficient user designs, and saves time overall.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of Mobile Cartography (Own illustration, based on Reichenbacher 2001).

Credit: © B. Gaertner. Used with permission.

Figure 1 above is showing the conceptual framework of mobile cartography outlined in Schultz et al. (2021). The red box is outlining the user analysis and needs assessment stage, that provides the necessary user input for effective design. As the conceptual framework illustrates, the user provides demands based on their expectations of UI/UX requirements, then provide demands/feedback, the designer iteratively implements. The important component of this type of framework is how to solicit user input and feedback on the efficiency of a geospatial design. We will discuss this in the next few pages.

References:

Scenario Based Design and Persona Mapping

A scenario based design and persona mapping are stories outlining the background of the user, the setting in which the user will interact with the design, the personal motivations, knowledge, and capabilities necessary for the user, and a detailed explanation of how the design will improve the situation for the user. See Rosson and Carroll, 2007.

Below is a brief overview of how to write and conceptualize a scenario based design.

1. Start with the background of the user. Consider the following questions:
   • Is the user a advanced Geospatial analyst, a novice analyst, or a citizen with no experience with GIS?
   • What is the job title of the user?
2. Explain the situation in which the user is interreacting with the design.
   • When will the users be interreacting with the app?
   • How often will they be using the design?
3. Define the problem
   • How is the user interreacting with the current design?
   • What are some current issues, confusions, or difficulties with the design?
4. Provide the specific situation in which the user is interreacting the new design:
   • How will the user interact with the new design?
   • How will the new design provide a solution to some of the confusions/concerns in the previous designs?
   • What are some specific features that are provided in the new design that is not present in the old design?

References:

The users outlined in the user analysis should have the opportunity to provide their specific needs on a design, through a variety of exercises including surveys, discussions, and focus groups. Each provides an opportunity for the users to provide feedback on their needs and expectations for the design.

Discussions and Focus Groups

Roundtable discussion and focus groups can involve a variety of users from the user analysis including community members, everyday citizens, geospatial analysts, and company employees, among other. The goal of the discussion and focus groups is to ask open ended questions to your users and allow them to provide open ended answers about the needs and usability requirements of your design. Overall, it can be useful for gathering detailed feedback on proposed features and functionality to ensure the UI/UX is efficient and user friendly.

Surveys:

Consider 5-10 questions in which your users can answer to provide feedback on your design. Consider general questions regarding basemaps, cartography, UI/UX features, mobile cartography and usability, user tasks, functionality for target audiences (see Schulz, 2021). It is important to understand and evaluate the usability questions before the design, to ensure that you are reaching the user goals and needs. *Note that the Schulz, 2021 articles discusses usability evaluation, but your survey should consider the user needs before the design.

• User background: Have you interacted with a geospatial design historically?
• User future: How do you think you can use this geospatial design in the future?
• Basemap Quality: What type of basemap is most accessible and preferrable for design?
• Cartography: What type of map design is most easy for interpretation?
• Target Audience: What specific features should be included for your users (consider the non-geospatial users, novice users, and expert users).
• UX/UI: What user interface needs are required for the users?
• Mobile Cartography (where applicable): Should the design be easily scalable to a mobile application? If so, what features must be considered for conversion?
• Location Based Services (where applicable): Should the app include location-based services? If so, how should they be included in the design?
• User Tasks and usability: What are some specific user tasks and usability issues and concerns that should be asked of the users?

For example, a survey of a geospatial design proposing a trail maintenance webApp could have the following survey questions, where 1 is least agree and 5 is most agree (Note* you can’t use these exact questions in your user analysis).

• Have you interacted with a geospatial design historically? Yes no
• Would you use a trail map geospatial design in the future? Yes no&
• How many times a week would you use a trail maintenance app? 1-2, 3-5, etc.
• A satellite base map is the preferred for a trail maintenance app? 1 2 3 4 5
• A dark contrast design is preferred for map cartography: 1 2 3 4 5
• Location-based services are necessary for a trail maintenance app 1 2 3 4 5

Experience builder is a low/no code configurable web app showcasing geospatial data from ESRI technologies. It provides the capability to choose form different templates, web maps, apps, pages, widgets, 2D/3D data and a drag/drop interface. Further customization is available to build custom widgets, themes, and actions with low-code development.

Experience builder webapps have been developed for a wide variety of government, private, and business solutions for environmental concerns, and emergency response, among others.

Example 1:

The National Centers for Environmental Information developed the Marine Microplastic Concentrations map (below) that visualized the microplastics in the global oceans. The experience builder provides Map Viewer and Data Viewer features, as well as filtering options for visualizing the different types of microplastics. The design of the experience builder is customizable.

Marine Microplastic concentration map with symbols. Click on image for more detail.

Credit: NOAA

More Examples:

Here is gallery of experience builder examples, which showcase hundreds of experience builder web apps, ranging from local research and survey initiatives, environmental response, local data repositories, among others. Experience builder topics range from climate change, forest fires, voter information, demography, emergency response, local and state park information, and many others.

ArcGIS Experience Builder Gallery

References

Reading Assignment

In the first set of readings, you will be introduced to a detailed explanation of scenario-based design and persona mapping, which are both necessary for understanding your user designs. You will use the content found in these readings to construct the user analysis section of your design proposal. The third article outlines the context necessary for developing needs assessment questions to solicit user feedback before developing the design, either through surveys, discussion posts, both, or another feedback method. The final article is optional if you would like to explore the National Centers for Environmental Information Experience Builder.

A needs assessment is a systematic evaluation of the "gap" between the current and desired capabilities. Quite simply, the “gap” defines the needs. By clearly identifying the needs, resources can be directed towards a solution. Any needs assessment is only effective when it is ends-focused and yields concrete evidence that can be used to determine the most effective and efficient means for achieving the desired results.

User analysis focuses, as the name implies, on improving the user’s experience. The outcomes help to understand how users engage with the system and identify user profiles. User analysis involves collecting and evaluating data about how the user interacts with the system. A deep understanding of your users’ needs and goals allows the designer to address user wants, needs, and goals. This understanding also helps to inform decision-making.

This week you will be working on the background section and the needs assessment/user analysis. The background section sets the stage for your GISystem Design and appeals to the stakeholder who needs to fund the development and implementation. You need to weave an appealing narrative about the current problem, the solution to that problem, and the importance of investing significant time and money in developing and implementing the solution. The background section should appeal to your readers to engage their interests and persuade them to read the rest of the proposal, and hopefully, fund your project.

The needs assessment and user analysis section will outline and describe the different individuals that will use your system from the development to the front-end users of the system. This is the stage of design work where you take stock of what already exists, what your users need, and in what context your system will operate. You will want to explore the different options for considering the requirements of your users and "putting yourself in their shoes". Many GISystem Designers are experts in the field, so considering the needs and requirements of a novice GIS user is a difficult task. You will use the scenario or persona-based user analysis method to identify the needs requirements of your users.