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 taskbased 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.