Cartographic Design and Interaction: An Integrated User-Centered Agile Software Development Framework for Web GIS Applications by Jo-Anne Antoun A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the USC Graduate School University of Southern California In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science (Geographic Information Science and Technology) August 2018 Copyright © 2018 by Jo-Anne Antoun ii To Tony, Nikolas, and Isabella Antoun iii Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. xi Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................... xii List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... xiii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ xvi Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Motivation ...........................................................................................................................2 1.1.1. Iterative Software Development Frameworks and GIS .............................................2 1.1.2. Application Interface Design and Software Development Concerns in Web GIS ....3 1.1.3. User-Centered Interface Design Research in Web GIS. ............................................5 1.1.4. The Proposed Interface Design and Software Development Framework ..................6 1.2. Improving Interface Design and Software Development Processes for Web GIS – The Test Case .........................................................................................................................8 1.2.1. The Test Application..................................................................................................8 1.2.2. The Pilot Application ...............................................................................................10 1.2.3. PIA Comparison with Related Existing Applications .............................................13 1.2.4. Research Goals.........................................................................................................13 1.2.5. Thesis Roadmap .......................................................................................................14 Chapter 2 Related Work................................................................................................................ 15 2.1. Online Cartographic Design .............................................................................................15 2.2. User-Centered Design .......................................................................................................17 2.2.1. Relationship between Usability Components ..........................................................18 2.2.2. User-Centered Design Methods ...............................................................................20 iv 2.2.3. The Elements of User Experience ............................................................................22 2.3. Agile-Based Development Frameworks ...........................................................................23 2.3.1. The Scrum Development Framework ......................................................................24 2.3.2. Agile Requirements-Gathering: User Stories ..........................................................30 2.3.3. Challenges that Agile Practitioners Face .................................................................34 2.3.4. System Design – Development Activity ..................................................................35 2.3.5. Other Agile-Based Development Frameworks ........................................................36 2.4. User-Centered Agile Software Development (UCASD) ..................................................37 2.5. ArcGIS Online Interactive Web Application Configuration Options...............................39 Chapter 3 Methods: Constructing and Implementing the Web GIS UCASD Framework through the Development of the PIA Test Application ...................................................................... 41 3.1. The Web GIS UCASD Framework ..................................................................................41 3.1.1. Variations to Established Agile-Based Methodologies ...........................................42 3.1.2. Composition of the Web GIS UCASD ....................................................................44 3.2. Framework Test Case: Developing the PIA Application .................................................49 3.2.1. Iteration -1. ..............................................................................................................49 3.2.2. Iteration 0.................................................................................................................52 3.2.3. Post-Iteration 0 Design and Development Iterations ...............................................77 Chapter 4 Web GIS UCASD Implementation Results ............................................................... 102 4.1. Final QA/QC Iteration – Product Release ......................................................................102 4.2. The Final PIA ..................................................................................................................103 4.2.1. The Landing Page and Main Application Template ..............................................104 4.2.2. The Property Information Map, My Zoning, and Other Jurisdiction Map ............105 4.2.3. Zone Type and Zone Type Tours ...........................................................................111 4.2.4. More about Zoning ................................................................................................115 4.2.5. What can I do with my Property? Zone-Specific Guidance ..................................116 v 4.2.6. Site Characteristics.................................................................................................120 4.2.7. The Permitting Process and Other Considerations ................................................124 Chapter 5 Framework Design, Framework Implementation through the Development of a test Web GIS Application, and Framework Evaluation ............................................................. 127 5.1. Evaluation of the Integrated UCASD Framework for Web GIS ....................................127 5.1.1. The Extended Iteration 0 ........................................................................................128 5.1.2. Requirements-Gathering: Wireframe Prototyping and User Stories .....................128 5.1.3. The GIS UX/UI Design Plan and GIS-specific UX/UI Design Sessions ..............131 5.1.4. Final QA/QC Iteration ...........................................................................................134 5.1.5. Other Important Framework Components .............................................................135 5.1.6. Framework Limitations ..........................................................................................141 5.2. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................143 References ................................................................................................................................... 146 Appendix A: User Stories ......................................................................................................... 150 Appendix B: Business Requirements ...................................................................................... 180 Appendix C: Important Links ................................................................................................. 181 Appendix D: GIS UI Design Plan – Pre-Planning Notes ....................................................... 182 vi List of Figures Figure 1. Geoffrey’s Technology Adoption Curve. ........................................................................ 6 Figure 2. Snohomish County Zoning Map. By Snohomish County PDS, 2017 ............................. 9 Figure 3. Pilot application interface design issues ........................................................................ 11 Figure 4. Pilot application developed on the Geocortex Platform. Screen Capture from Internal- faced Application, Snohomish County PDS, 2017 ....................................................................... 12 Figure 5. The relationship between usability, HCI, UCD, and UX .............................................. 19 Figure 6. The Elements of User Experience (J. J. Garrett 2010). ................................................. 23 Figure 7. The Development Team responsibilities within the scrum framework as illustrated by Kenneth Rubin, “Essential Scrum”, 2013. .................................................................................... 30 Figure 8. Test Case created from Acceptance Criteria. ................................................................ 31 Figure 9. Story Cards pinned to a wall to facilitate Triangulation. Table by Mike Cohn, “User Stories Applied,” 2013. ................................................................................................................