| Visual representation methods used in geographical inquiry have evolved from static maps created with pen and ink on paper to dynamic and highly interactive computer-generated images. With these technological advances have come philosophical changes about the way geographic representations are used by geographers and other researchers of spatial and spatiotemporal information. Those individuals now have the ability to design and produce many different perspectives on their data quite rapidly, and to use the resulting variety of representations both to communicate their conclusions about the data (as a final result of analysis) and to explore the data during every stage of the analysis process. Highly interactive environments that allow the visualization of multiple dimensions and of temporal process encourage an iterative and exploratory approach to understanding data. The design of these environments needs to focus on how best to support data exploration in much the same way that the design of cartographic products in the past focused on the optimal means of data communication.; This thesis proposes a framework for the design of geovisualization environments, specifically those that are intended for the exploratory analysis of spatiotemporal and multidimensional spatial information. The framework is informed by theories and methods developed not only in cartography, but also in statistics, in computer science, and in cognitive science. An emphasis is placed on the encouragement and facilitation of creative thinking about geography through the prompting and development of a variety of mental (internal) representations through the design of the (external) representation. Design issues in this content include both the visual aspects of the environment (maps, color schemes, symbolization) and the methods that are provided to interact with the environment. The thesis also proposes an approach for the empirical investigation of such environments and reports on a series of prototypes, case studies, and experiments that serve as examples of implementations of the framework described. |
