So James, can you find your way any faster?: exploring navigation aids for taxi drivers

ABSTRACT

When navigating, we as human beings tend to display systematic or near-systematic errors with distance, direction and other navigation issues. For several centuries, designers, urban planners and architects have developed aids for individuals navigating in real physical environments. However, mobile HCI practitioners and researchers have studied how to support navigation with mobile devices and applications for only a few decades. Thus, for HCI professionals there are many possibilities in exploring existing design guidelines originally developed for urban planners to then support users to navigate better. Whilst there have been a lot of studies of navigation design guidelines based on Kevin Lynch's imageability, in this paper we propose an initial study of navigation design guidelines utilising the theory of designing episodes of motion. The implications of the theory of episodes of motions for mobile human computer interaction are explored in this study with the subjects being mobile workers whose daily routines include navigation tasks. To find new navigation aids is important for taxi drivers, not only in carrying out a navigation task well, but also as a question of safety and productivity in daily work, in addition to usability issues. The main contribution of this paper is in demonstrating the concept of designing episodes of motion and evaluating it in the mobile work context. We conclude that by designing overall views, clues, variations and rhythm into mobile applications, we can improve navigation aids for users.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
interaction design, interdisciplinary perspectives, mobile work, navigation