University of Maryland

1) Sonification of Maps2) Viewing Search Results with Stable Meaningful Hierarchies3) Narrated Demos4) Visualization for re-identifiability

Threads: Visualization Universal Usability

.gov

1) Sonification of Maps

One Challenge: use sound to present geographical data distribution patterns to visually impaired usersUniversal usability: avoid special devices

1) Sonification of Maps

Goals: use non-speech audio to convey patterns in choropleth maps

Initial prototype

Two user studies (9 + 40 sighted users)Work with 2 blind usersPhD work of Haixia ZhaoCollaborators:

Ben Smith & Kent Norman (Experiments, UMD)Ramani Duraiswami & Dimitry Zotkin (Spatial sound production, UMD)

1) Sonification of Maps

Goals: use non-speech audio to convey patterns in choropleth maps

Initial prototypeTwo user studies (9 + 40 sighted users)

Work with 2 blind usersPhD work of Haixia Zhao

• Zhao, et al. (2005), “Interactive Sonification of Choropleth Maps: Design and Evaluation”, to appear in IEEE Multimedia Special Issue on Interactive Sonification , Apr-Jun 2005

• Zhao et al. (2004), “Sonification of geo-referenced data for auditory information seeking: design principle and pilot study ”, in Proc. 10th Int’l Conference on Auditory Display, Sydney, Australia

• Zhao et al. (2003), “Improving accessibility and usability of geo-referenced statistical data”, Proc. Digital Government Research Conference, March 2003, 147-155

Controlled ExperimentsSubjects listened to and explored sonified data and select pattern among choices

Compared map vs. table

Compared 2 navigation methodsand 2 sound designs

Two Controlled ExperimentsTasks: listened to and explored sonified data and chose matching patterns from visual choices

Compared map vs. table

Compared 2 navigation methodsand 2 sound designs

Perceptual abilityPeople were able to recognize patterns of 5-category data on a US state map, but… it was hard.

DesignsData representation form needs to fit tasks Interaction is importantNavigating irregularly shaped regions is a challenge

TrainingIntegrated training is needed

Observations and comments from two congenitally blind users show consistency with the experiment findings

Lessons and Insights

New Prototype

3 x 3 numeric key pad to explore in 3 x 3 sub-regions, recursively

Absolute pointing touch pad to explore continuously

Thesis Research

Part1: A taxonomy for interactive sonification of abstract data

Interaction componentsAuditory Information Seeking Actions (AISA)

Part2: Explore design space for geo-referenced abstract data

Part3: Develop customizable user tool (InterSon)

Interaction Components

Interaction command

Auditory feedback (encoding)

Auditory interfaceMental representation & navigation structures

Input device

Kinesthetic feedback

AISA: an interaction loop

Data presented asAbstract Objects

Interactive Sonification Taxonomy

Auditory Information Seeking Actions Interaction Components

Abstract ObjectNavigation structureInput device & interaction commandAuditory feedback

GistNavigate, situate, searchFilter by querySelectDetails-on-demandLinked brushing

Future Work

Refine prototype / Test Permit use of different mapsTraining materials Accessible control panelsDissemination

In parallel, with support from other NSF grant, develop Spatial sound version with customized HRTF and head trackingas a longer term exploration of new sonification research.

2) Viewing Search Results with Stable Meaningful Hierarchies

The challenge: Helping users understand search results

Navigational – “ebay”Known item – “nowell visualizing search results”Informational – “visualizing search results”Exploratory – “breast cancer”

Exploratory Work Tasks

Exploring a topicWriting a paperDeveloping a lesson plan“What information is available about…?”

A journalist gathering background material to write a series of stories on obesity in the United States

Information Seeking ModelUnderstanding search results

Gaining overviewsIdentifying unusual documentsMeaningful context

SWISH & Dyna-Cat

Honeycomb

Principles of search result visualization

Provide overview+detail display100-1000 items

Organize by meaningful, stable classificationsProvide example documents for each categoryUse a stable visual substrateArrange important text (Title, Line-in-context) for fast scanning/skimmingVisually encode quantitative attributes Support multiple, user-controlled classifications and visual displays

Exploratory Study

Domain: Government web pagesTwo-level department/agency hierarchy

Dept. of the Interior / National Park ServiceLegislative Branch / House of Representatives

Motivating scenarioPre-computed results

Urban SprawlBreast cancerAlternative Energy

Exploratory Study

Exploration sub-tasksWhat agencies provide most resultsIdentify facets of topicFind “unusual” results

Interface treatments2 overview1 control

18 subjectsThink-aloud protocol

Confirmed Benefits of Overviews

Improved accuracyEasier to useMore helpfulUsers were more confident of their results

Gaining overviewsFinding different perspectives

(All differences were significant)

Noticing Missing Results

Users noticed areas not covered by the search results

Overview conditions: 9 out of 12Control condition: 1 out of 6

“What I found informative was… what didn’t show up, which I wouldn’t know if the hierarchy wasn’t there.”

Other Findings

Importance of textUsers still scanned substantial amounts of textCategory information alone is not sufficient to help users gain an overview

Expandable outliner vs. treemapNo significant measured differencesMore preferred expandable outliner

Limitations of Study

Government domainNarrow tasksSmall hierarchySmall sample size

RecommendationsDevelop clearer categoriesBegin to integrate metatagsImplement category browsers in search results

3) Narrated Demos(Recorded

Animations/Videos)

Developed series of demonstrations

Developed set of Guidelines

Compared across Demos

Our impressions

Strong reduction in “how do I” questionsPositive feedback on the demosQuantitative evaluation remains a challenge

Refining guidelines Keeping examples of “bad” versionsWill continue to create examples for new interfaces

Script GuidelinesBase the script on a live demonstration (never on a written description)

Focus on tasks(not tours of widgets or conceptual overviews)

Act out the interaction (with minimum description) then describe results in context of taskStart with a tour of main screen components (orient and introduce vocabulary) 5-10 sec. max

Plan a linear sequences made of very short autonomous chunks (15-60 sec.)

Map the chunks to existing online documentationShow text title at beginning of each chunkCarefully synchronize voice and visual (hard when alone)

Provide duration and file size for individual chunk

Technical GuidelinesAvoid actual video recording, use on-screen recording of demonstration (generates much smaller files)

Make demonstration look as similar as possible to real interface (e.g. full screen size is better, crop only for readability, provide sound or visual effects for interaction events such as mouse clicks)

Provide navigation controls if chunk is longer than 10sec. (Stop, Play, >>, <<, Progress indicator)

Use voice of person who will be around for a while (i.e. plan for revisions)

Choose the minimum connection speed to design for, which sets max demo duration and file sizeProvide sound transcripts and keep text descriptions (for deaf and blind users.)

Features Analysis of Demos

Reviewed Government and other narrated demos to compare length, style, quality

Size Buffering LengthResembles Interface

Pause SeekTime Display

Voice Text BoxesClick Cues

Highlighting

US Court Western District of Virginia

8100KB No 9:20 Yes Yes No No Yes No No No

MedlinePlus 4200KB Yes 9:40 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Interface

Judicial Council of California 572KB Yes 4:45 Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No

LLIS 13145KB Yes 1:55 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Visual No

Idaho Gvt software 5710KB No 1:31 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? Yes

EMRS software 3950KB No 10:39 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? Yes

Features Analysis of Demos

Reviewed Government and other narrated demos to compare length, style, qualityResults– coming soon ---

Visualization for re-identifiability

Exposing identities from micro dataFind vulnerable targets in micro data Find possible suspects in public data sourcesLink and match to re-identify

IDFinder visualization system

Hyunmo Kang at Census Bureau