Improving intuitiveness in geoscience hazard maps: a web-based experiment supporting governmental map development

Changing societal needs means that new or existing maps need to be continuously developed. It is important that these maps are interpreted in the right way, to avoid misinterpretations and bad decision-making. The map design choices are based upon experience and cartographic theory, and in the end, are a product of expert opinions. This in-house research project aims to test and communicate the impact of these design choices to support the development processes for two Norwegian geoscience maps: Possibility of marine clay and the national Radon susceptibility map. Interviews were conducted with the map owners and based on known challenges with the maps, a web-based experiment was set up to measure intuitiveness for a series of map alternatives. A total of 450 participants, from novices to experts, took part in the experiment. By analyzing and visualizing amounts of correct answers, confidence in the map reading tasks and uncertainties, it was possible to conclude about map intuitiveness and how accessible the map is expected to be. The results show that including an experiment like this can improve cartographic work processes, support map design choices with empirical evidence, and that seemingly small improvements in design significantly improve the participant scores.