Searching for names in two city street maps

Two experiments investigated the speed with which names could be found on maps from two London street atlases. Differences in grid referencing between the maps accounted for large differences in search times. However, small statistically significant differences were still present when grid references were not being used, and these cannot be explained in terms of map scale, nor in terms of greater familiarity with the faster map. Several design differences could have contributed to this effect and it is likely that the use of lower case type on the faster map was an important factor. Implications for the map designer are discussed.