Flash, Maps and infovis

On June, 22nd SEAT released the beta version of PagineGialleVisual.

It’s an evolution, for Italy, of yahoo, msn and google maps applications.

I took part to the project as infovis consultant for metapictures ( do you remember of it ? ) that developed a dedicated and improved version of it’s fantastic closer.

The brief provided by SEAT Pagine Gialle was about developing a smart client based on Closer that was able to improve the user experience in order to offer to the end users the added value of the enormous data they have, related to maps and satellite pictures.

During the analytical and design phases we noted that one more interesting point should have been highlighten:
the way the users could avoid the boring traditional use of records pagination systems.

The use of infovis theories and methods was foundamental in defining a new UI controller that, using dynamic querying, let the user handle in real-time data on the maps, also ordered in the appropriate list without using any “next” or “previous” button

My role was to analize and define some critical aspects of representing thousands of information on a map and giving the user a better way to reach information he really cares of.

Gabriele Venier, CEO of metapictures, was involved in the key role of giving to the Flash Technology the best way to express its potential for infovis based application with an high user experience.

He was also very able to use the full power of open source actionscript developing platform to create the whole application.

We know there is a lot of further works to do from now, but this is just the begining

Once again Actionscript seemed to be a good quality technology for mass infovis web based solution.