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DMASC: THE PROJECT

The medium of the web offers us more possibilities for data on real consumption patterns than any other medium before it but the application of that data to maximum advantage in the context of web design requires particular care with data collection. It also requires visualization tools that allow the designer to examine individual movements, as well as aggregate traffic, in ways that can be controlled and appreciated by the designer.

The development of the DMASC system (Direction Mapping and Sequence Chart) allows site designers to view user movement through their site. Using colour and arc curvature sequence, direction and duration of visits can be visualized.

The DMASC charts have been employed to track traffic through a static html site and also through a database driven website (dDMASC). See the Gallery for chart examples.

The DMASC project is run by Dr Stephen Sobol (steve@sobolstones.com) and Catherine Stones (c.m.stones@leeds.ac.uk) at the University of Leeds, UK.