How do you evaluate the impact and value of geospatial and temporal visualization for decision making?

1 Goals and criteria

Before you create or use a geospatial or temporal visualization, you need to define your goals and criteria for success. What are you trying to achieve with the visualization? Who is your target audience and what are their needs and preferences? How will you measure the outcomes and impacts of the visualization? These questions will help you set clear and realistic objectives, and choose the most suitable data, design, and tools for your visualization.

2 Data quality and relevance

One of the most important factors for evaluating geospatial and temporal visualization is the quality and relevance of the data. You need to ensure that the data is accurate, complete, consistent, and up-to-date, and that it matches the scope and scale of your visualization. You also need to consider the ethical and legal implications of using and sharing the data, and respect the privacy and rights of the data sources and subjects. You can use various methods and tools to check, clean, and transform your data, such as data profiling, validation, and mapping.

3 Design principles and best practices

Another key aspect for evaluating geospatial and temporal visualization is the design principles and best practices. You need to follow the principles of visual perception, cognition, and communication, and apply the best practices of geospatial and temporal visualization, such as choosing appropriate colors, symbols, scales, projections, and animations. You also need to balance the trade-offs between simplicity and complexity, clarity and aesthetics, and detail and overview. You can use various guidelines and frameworks to help you design your visualization, such as the Gestalt principles, the visual variables, and the grammar of graphics.

4 Usability and user experience

A third essential factor for evaluating geospatial and temporal visualization is the usability and user experience. You need to ensure that the visualization is easy to use, understand, and interact with, and that it provides a positive and engaging experience for your audience. You also need to consider the context and environment of the visualization, such as the device, platform, format, and location. You can use various methods and tools to test and improve the usability and user experience of your visualization, such as usability testing, user feedback, eye tracking, and analytics.

5 Impact and value

Finally, the ultimate goal of evaluating geospatial and temporal visualization is to measure the impact and value of the visualization. You need to assess how well the visualization meets your goals and criteria, and how it affects the behavior, attitude, and performance of your audience. You also need to quantify the benefits and costs of the visualization, such as the time, money, and resources saved or gained. You can use various methods and tools to measure the impact and value of your visualization, such as surveys, interviews, experiments, and metrics.

6 Tips and examples

When evaluating your geospatial and temporal visualization, it’s essential to use multiple methods and sources of evaluation, such as qualitative and quantitative, subjective and objective, formative and summative. Involving your audience and stakeholders in the evaluation process is also important; for example, by having them co-design, test, and review the visualization. Additionally, you should compare different versions or alternatives of the visualization, such as different data sets, designs, or tools. Benchmarks or standards can also be used to evaluate the visualization, such as existing research, best practices, or industry standards. Finally, it can be useful to learn from successful or unsuccessful examples of geospatial and temporal visualization.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?