The competitive analysis method for evaluating water level visualization tools

Abstract

This paper reports on the competitive analysis of water level visualization tools that support adaptive management in response to global climate change. A competitive analysis study is a theory-based usability engineering method administered to critically compare a suite of related applications according to their relative merits to the end of revealing best practices and unmet opportunities. The competitive analysis was conducted to inform design and development of the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Lake Level Viewer a map-based visualization tool supporting adaptive coastal management of hazards related to future water level change across the Great Lakes (USA). Twenty-five (n = 25) water level visualization tools were compared across two broad themes in cartography: (1) representation or the graphic encoding of information in the map display and (2) interaction or the means by which the user is able to manipulate the map display. The competitive analysis of water level visualization tools serves as a case study that can be extended to other mapping and visualization contexts.