Atlas Site Design Description

• %BLUE%JH:I came across a couple of very interesting sites over the break. I think they are worth sharing, as they have certainly crystallized some ideas for me. These are excellent examples, IMHO, of how to keep 'it' simple, without unnecessary adornment of the interface (in true Aussie fashion). Both sites are from the  Bureau of Rural Sciences in Australia.
  • The first site is a  Bioenergy Atlas for Australia. This site distinguishes between an 'Atlas View' that has no tools, and a 'GIS View' which provides tools for manipulating the data (map functions, query functions, layer controls). The Atlas view provides direct access to thematic (sub)regional summary information with minimal user interaction, like a page(s) in a book. The GIS view allows the user to manipulate the content of the data presentation beyond the predefined themes. What I like about this model is that is doesn't differentiate between the two main user groups (those with & those without GIS experience) on the basis of authentication.
  • The second site is the  Online Social Atlas. This site allow a user to select a region, choose from predefined themes, and submit a request for statistical summary info (in PDF format) with mail confirmation. Plain and Simple.%ENDCOLOR%

• [:AtlasUseCases:Use Case Descriptions]

-- Main.FredWarnock? - 22 Dec 2006