Cognitive issues of mobile map design and use

Abstract

Internet-connected mobile devices have changed how people access information. Like other information sources, maps have benefited from and been re-envisioned for mobile devices, and they are used in new contexts. However, these new contexts often generate additional cognitive load. We explored in depth two strategies designers could use to mitigate high cognitive loads associated with mobile map use: offloading cognition and reducing cognitive load by improved design to support the allocation of attention between the map and the environment. In reviewing these strategies, we considered their relevance to several mobile map use cases (navigation, individual and collaborative spatial decision making, information enrichment, and entertainment). Next, we identified recent progress in our understanding of how to measure cognitive load and map use context. Finally, we explored the wider implications of mobile maps for human behaviour and cognition. We identified two important cross-cutting research questions: 1) How can mobile maps be designed to reduce cognitive load by providing what is really needed by users to facilitate their cognitive processes?; 2) How can the intrinsic additional cognitive load created by the characteristics of mobile maps be managed and minimised by supporting the distribution of the user's attention between the map and environment?