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EVALUATING AUGMENTED REALITY MAPS: A USER-CENTERED THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Abstract
Augmented Reality (AR) technology is gaining relevance in spatial applications, offering interactive ways for users to explore and navigate destinations by overlaying digital information onto real-world environments. As this technology advances, AR maps present both new possibilities and unique challenges in cartographic communication. Despite their growing presence, a structured, user-centered framework for evaluating the usability and effectiveness of AR maps remains underdeveloped. This paper proposes a theoretical foundation for assessing AR maps through a user-centered lens, emphasizing cognitive, perceptual, and interactional dimensions of map use. Drawing from existing usability evaluation models, human-computer interaction principles and cartographic theory, the framework outlines methods for capturing user experience, including task-based assessments, heuristic evaluation, and subjective usability metrics. This framework is designed to guide future studies and can be adapted across various domains-from navigation to education. It highlights the importance of understanding how users interpret and interact with spatial information in immersive environments. However, ensuring their usability remains a challenge, particularly due to the novelty of AR interaction and the lack of established evaluation guidelines tailored to spatial applications. This paper presents a user-centered theoretical framework for evaluating the usability of AR maps within the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) and cartography.
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