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Preconference Workshops
October 20, 2002
Before the FDLC, I attended two workshops sponsored by the Association of Public Data Users. The first was on presenting GIS information on the Web, and while it was very interesting, my lack of specialized geographical and mapping training limited what I could practically learn from the speakers. But I did become somewhat more familiar with some important Web-based GIS projects, most notably the work being done at Columbia's CIESIN (Center for International Earth Science Information Network). They specialize in using geography and advanced mapping techniques to study the interaction of humans and the environment.
The second workshop was of more relevance to my work and interests: Website Usability Studies. The speakers, a couple of very enthusiastic civil servants (from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Energy Information Administration) presented a wealth of detail on testing websites for usability. Their techniques could be applied in formal, rigorous research-like studies, and also in more informal (and less time-consuming) information-gathering sessions. Their main points were that any website's usability can be improved, even a limited usability survey can help with this improvement, and this kind of testing should be ongoing. They provided specific questions to ask in such a survey, tips on how to get started and enlist participants, and what to do with the information the survey gathers. It was a very inspiring afternoon!
I have some handouts from both of these presentations and will be glad to send copies, along with contact information for the speakers, to anyone who is interested.
