Item: Shifting Audience and the Visual Language of Avalanche Risk Communication
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Title: Shifting Audience and the Visual Language of Avalanche Risk Communication
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble – Chamonix Mont-Blanc - October 07-11, 2013
Authors:
- Jernej Burkeljca [ Institute of Media Communication, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, Slovenia ]
Date: 2013-10-07
Abstract: As more people venture out into avalanche terrain we must also deal with a shift in avalanche bulletin audience. They are the core product of avalanche warning services yet many still operate with an outdated idea of their user group. How do we capture the attention of novices and people venturing into potentially dangerous terrain on the spur of the moment without even the basic understanding of what they are getting into? We explored current state of bulletins, highlighted the essential elements and presented various practices in their implementation. We chose 4 representative concepts from European and North American warning services and modified them to present the situation in Slovenia. The resulting bulletins were presented to expert and advanced users for evaluation then compared to findings gathered in a concurrent usability study with lay people. Bulletins with well implemented use of graphics performed best in presenting critical information however they must be accompanied by extended information in textual form preferred by experts and older users.
Object ID: ISSW13_paper_O5-19.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Unknown
Keywords: avalanche bulletins, risk communication, visual language, avalanche awareness
Page Number(s): 415-422
Subjects: avalanche bulletin avalanche risk management avalanche awareness
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