Swipe versus multiple view: a comprehensive analysis using eye-tracking to evaluate user interaction with web maps

The comparison of multiple maps is a common fundamental process used by geographers to explore the world. The most frequently applied interactive methods for the comparison of maps are multiple view and swipe. Swipe allows the user to interactively drag and overlap two different maps. Multiple view is based on the simultaneous side-by-side display of several maps. The current paper presents an analysis of the use of these two map comparison techniques in an Esri environment using an eye-tracking study which involved 25 participants. The participants completed two different tasks which compared land suitability using two or four maps. Based on an analysis of the recorded data, we compared the effectiveness of these methods through the accuracy of answers, the trial duration, and eye-tracking metrics of the individual compositional elements of the interactive maps. Cognitive processing was investigated through the analysis of dynamic areas of interest. This labor-intensive analysis yielded results which could be visualized using sequence charts. Based on these analyses, we concluded that the participants worked more effectively with multiple views, especially in comparing four maps. Working with swipe in the Esri environment is non-intuitive in comparisons of more than two maps. Many participants instead preferred simple toggling between layers instead of interactive swipe comparisons. However, when swipe was used to compare two maps, the method was more efficient, especially during cognitively demanding tasks.

Automated summary

The comparison of multiple maps is a common process in geography. The study analyzed the use of two map comparison techniques, multiple view and swipe, in an Esri environment through an eye-tracking study with 25 participants. Results showed that multiple view was more effective, especially when comparing four maps. Swipe was more efficient when comparing two maps, particularly in cognitively demanding tasks.