Problem Summary
Point Location Maps represent entities or records as specific points on a map or diagram (such as a geospatial map or structural product diagram). They help users rapidly perceive spatial patterns in record location or distribution, identify specific records for further investigation or action, and explore relationships between particular facets and record locations within a broader spatial area. Faceted Point Location Maps enable users to locate records via coordinates in an overall space (whether a geospatial space such as a country map, or a physical space such as a schematic diagram), understand how they are distributed in relation to each other, and understand how those coordinates change when the navigational context is updated (such as when the user selects specific facet values or invokes a keyword search). Some typical use cases might include:
- Where are our top performing agents located?
- Where have the most terrorist incidents been in the last 3 months? How far apart are they?
- Which parts of the aircraft have reported performance failures in the last month and where are they located? What specifically has failed? etc.)
Users need to understand the spatial relationships between faceted entities (such as events, physical objects, etc.) within a broader spatial area, in order to investigate and make actionable decisions based on absolute or relative location, physical distance, proximity, spatial distribution or other location-based considerations.
UsagesA Point Location Map is useful when:
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Constraints and Challenges
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Define iconic “pins” that can clearly convey precise spatial location along with relevant information about each record (e.g. the category of entity).
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Define an alphanumeric labeling scheme to uniquely identify key records and convey related information where applicable (such as the category of entity at each location).
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Display records within the navigational context as discrete points on a 2-dimensional map using their spatial coordinates.
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Apply a suitable default value for the scale of the Map so that the locations of the records in the current result set can be discriminated effectively.
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Allow the user to adjust the scale of the map so that more or less of the surrounding context is displayed. (Note that this action would update only the user’s current view, not the navigational context.)
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Minimize the size of location indicators to avoid excessive overlapping of tightly placed location points and to avoid obscuring significant portions of the map itself.
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Include an Item Preview for each record.
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Update the content of the map as and when the navigational context is updated (e.g. via the selection of navigational refinements or invocation of keyword search, etc.)
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Consider displaying the records corresponding to the points displayed on the map as items in a separate search results table. This allows the user to view other attributes not currently displayed on the map, and also facilitates other forms of interaction not supported by the map view (e.g. sorting the records on a specific attribute).
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Consider displaying static reference points (such as geographic borders, streets, city names, etc.) on the Map if this aids in the understanding of the spatial properties of the search results. Apply a labeling scheme that clearly differentiates between search results (i.e. records within the current navigational context) and reference points, using a legend if necessary.
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Consider providing custom controls associated with the map to allow the user to show or hide certain types of records.
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Ensure that the points on the map remain individually distinguishable. If necessary, limit the number of points displayed by default.
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In cases where the number of data points is likely to exceed that which a Points Location Map can reasonably accommodate, consider allowing the user to switch to a different type of map that is better able to communicate an aggregate view of the records.
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Consider allowing the user to define arbitrary regions on the map and to use these to update the navigational context.
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