A Usability Study on Navigational Maps of Scenery Spots

This research studied the usability problems of YAH maps in Westlake Scenery District. At first phase, using structured interview method, the usability problems of the maps in the District were investigated, and the amending advice were put forward according to the problems, and secondly, a performance comparison experiment was conducted to explore whether an improved YAH symbol performed better than the before. The results showed that: (1) there were totally six usability problems in four categories, such as inconspicuous YAH symbol, improper placement et al., in exist maps. (2) The YAH symbol amended map performed better than the before on judging directions. This study may provide some guidance on the design of West Lake navigation system, or other similar public space design.