Comparative evaluation of the web-based contiguous cartogram generation tool go-cart.io

Area of Science:

• Data Visualization
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Area cartograms visually represent data by resizing map regions proportionally.
• Contiguous cartograms preserve spatial adjacencies, crucial for accurate geographic representation.
• Existing cartogram software often lacks accessibility for non-technical users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review available contiguous cartogram software.
• To compare the usability of two web-based tools: fBlog and go-cart.io.
• To identify challenges and propose improvements for web-based cartogram generation tools.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of contiguous cartogram software.
• User study evaluating cartogram generation and analysis tasks.
• System Usability Scale (SUS) for quantitative usability assessment.
• Qualitative feedback collection on user challenges.

Main Results:

• Participants rated go-cart.io as more usable than fBlog.
• go-cart.io offers more built-in maps and supports file uploads for data.
• Both tools exhibit usability issues, with go-cart.io's complex interface and limited data import formats being key concerns.

Conclusions:

• Web-based contiguous cartogram tools show promise but require significant usability enhancements.
• Recommendations are provided for improving go-cart.io and future web-based cartogram software.
• Enhanced usability is critical for broader adoption of area cartograms by non-expert users.