Sunday, December 12, 2010

ArcGIS for iPad: one small step for usability!

I just did an "upgrade all" on my iPad applications, and happened to notice that ArcGIS for iPad v1.5 includes the following enhancement:
We have simplified the experience of identifying locations on the map. A simple tap on the map replaces the Identify Location tool.
This is nice to see, since I'd pointed out in a couple of my recent usability presentations that it took a minimum of six clicks, and more typically 9-10 clicks, to display feature information on ArcGIS for iPad, and suggested that perhaps a single tap on the map would be simpler. My voice has been heard!! Or maybe it was just a coincidence :), but either way a big usability improvement for the product, well done ESRI folks!

Don't make me think: Ignite Spatial NoCo 2 from Peter Batty on Vimeo.

Update: hmmm, I just tried it out briefly (rather than just reading the description), and looks as though it still takes 3 clicks to actually see the attributes of a feature, and still has some significant issues distinguishing between features that are close together. So some improvement but not as good as I had hoped.

2 comments:

sue foster said...

Maybe you can create a video of you trying to find a location and share your pain with the rest of us.

Bernie said...

Peter, I agree with your usability comments on ArcGIS for iOS. And I had the opportunity to share them with ESRI Canada at a conference in October.