What good is a map that you can zoom, click, stretch and interact with if you can’t take it with you? You know where the lecture hall is, but how do you get there on your bike? Let’s ask the visitor in the parking lot how cool your map is when they are trying to find the admissions office. Maps are now used everywhere and growing in popularity. Can your map keep up? This session explores how to use the new Google Maps V3 API to make all your map dreams come true — including the one where you’re the campus hero for the stellar new iPhone/Android application. One map that just works everywhere. Based on experiences with the Missouri State Map.
Chad Killingsworth, Missouri State University
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My Notes
Users have low tollerence for out of date maps.
They want to interact, but they don’t want too much information.
Don’t reinvent the wheel: google maps is already there.
All your maps should match.
Customize the map with markers.
He uses Google maps api v3. It’s designed for mobile devices.
KML layers: xml doc to maintain cool maps: from Google Earth, polyicon tool, click the edges, copy paste to KML.
Maps need to be mobile.
Make it familiar to the user. Keep brand and extras small, and maximize the map.
Student workers can make KML – it’s tedious work.
Make hybrid application: make a basic app first, embed a browser, point the browser to the map.
Optimize
– avoid extra javascript libraries
– compress your javascript
– use HTML5 local storage (cache-manifest)
– use google page speed (firefox add-on)