Mobile devices today frequently serve as platforms for the visualisation of map-based data. Despite the obvious advantages, mobile map-based visualisation (MMV) systems are often difficult to design and use. Limited screen space, resource constraints and awkward interaction mechanisms are among the many problems with which designers and users have to contend. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs), which adapt to the individual user, represent a possible means of addressing the problems of MMV. Adaptive MMV systems are, however, generally designed in an ad-hoc fashion, making the benefits achieved difficult to replicate. In addition, existing models for adaptive MMV systems are either conceptual in nature or only address a subset of the possible input variables and adaptation effects. The primary objective of this research was to develop and evaluate an adaptive MMV system using a model-based approach. The Proteus Model was proposed to support the design of MMV systems which adapt in terms of information, visualisation and user interface in response to the user‟s behaviour, tasks and context. The Proteus Model describes the architectural, interface, data and algorithm design of an adaptive MMV system. A prototype adaptive MMV system, called MediaMaps, was designed and implemented based on the Proteus Model. MediaMaps allows users to capture, location-tag, organise and visualise multimedia on their mobile phones. Information adaptation is performed through the use of an algorithm to assist users in sorting media items into collections based on time and location. Visualisation adaptation is performed by adapting various parameters of the map-based visualisations according to user preferences. Interface adaptation is performed through the use of adaptive lists. An international field study of MediaMaps was conducted in which participants were required to use MediaMaps on their personal mobile phones for a period of three weeks. The results of the field study showed that high levels of accuracy were achieved by both the information and interface adaptations. High levels of user satisfaction were reported, with participants rating all three forms of adaptation as highly useful. The successful implementation of MediaMaps provides practical evidence that the model-based design of adaptive MMV systems is feasible. The positive results of the field study clearly show that the adaptations implemented were highly accurate and that participants found these adaptations to be useful, usable and easy to understand. This research thus provides empirical evidence that the use of AUIs can provide significant benefits for the visualisation of map-based information on mobile devices.

La conception de cartes topographiques de référence est aujourd’hui caractérisée par une multiplication des données géographiques et des services de conception cartographiques de plus en plus distribués. Dans ce contexte, il est nécessaire d’enrichir les connaissances existantes sur la rédaction cartographique afin de préserver la qualité des cartes produites, i.e. qu’elles soient lisibles et efficaces. Nous faisons l’hypothèse que le style topographique facilite la lisibilité et l’efficacité d’une carte grâce à des codes et repères visuels connus des utilisateurs. Nous nous sommes fixés comme objectif de formaliser la notion de style topographique en tant que famille cartographique regroupant des signes graphiques reconnus des utilisateurs afin de pouvoir l’utiliser pour produire de nouvelles cartes topographiques.Dans ce travail de thèse, nous proposons un modèle conceptuel intégrant les concepts clés de signature visuelle et de famille cartographique. Nous validons et instancions ce modèle à travers la mise en place d’entretiens auprès d’experts cartographes et le déploiement de deux expérimentations auprès d’utilisateurs permettant d’étudier les familles cartographiques IGN et Swisstopo. Les résultats obtenus permettent de caractériser les signatures visuelles de chacune de ces deux familles cartographiques. À l’aide de la caractérisation des signatures visuelles de ces deux styles topographiques typiques (IGN-France et Swisstopo), nous proposons des recommandations qui permettraient de produire de nouvelles cartes topographiques pour les deux cas d’application suivants : (1) produire de nouvelles cartes topographiques appartenant au même style topographique, (2) produire de nouvelles cartes topographiques à la frontière entre deux pays / agences nationales de cartographie / The design of topographic maps of reference is characterised both by an increasing amount of reference geographic databases and by design geo-services operating in distributed architectures. In this context, one of the major challenges consists in enriching the current knowledge on cartographic design in order to preserve the maps quality, i.e. they are legible, effective and usable. We assume that the topographic style renders maps legible and effective thanks to the visual codes and guides, well-known by the users. Our research purpose aims at formalising the concept of a topographic style as a cartographic family with a recognizable visual signature in order to produce new topographic maps.We propose to formalize key concepts of visual signature and cartographic family in a unified model. We validate and instantiate this model in setting up interviews of cartography experts and in designing user’s experiments allowing to evaluate the visual recognition of maps and graphic signs belonging in Swisstopo and IGN-France cartographic families. With results of the two user’s experiments, we characterize the visual signature of the two cartographic families. Then, we propose cartographic design guidelines in order to produce reference topographic maps based on the characterisation of the visual signature for two cases studies: (1) design a map belonging in a given cartographic family, (2) design a map on the border of two countries / two national mapping agencies