Transit usability-removing-the-barriers
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Transcript of Transit usability-removing-the-barriers
TRANSIT USABILITY Removing the Barriers
ILONA POSNER [email protected] Usability & User Experience Consultant
Presented at
Transforming Transporta=on: Economies & Communi=es
Summit
Detroit, MI April 7-‐9, 2011
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Transit Usability Defined
Usability is the extent to which a product or service can be used with effec@veness, efficiency, and sa@sfac@on.
Transit Usability Transit riders are faced with usability challenges at many points in their trips. Transit Usability barriers range from accessibility for wheelchairs and strollers, to planning a trip using operators website or maps, from frustra=ons during payment at =cket machines to entry gates and valida=on systems, from naviga=on within the system using signage to transfers between transit modes. This talk will discuss design tools that may be used by transit authori=es to remove transit usability barriers.
ILONA POSNER, Usability Consultant ©2011 2
Presenter -‐ ILONA POSNER Usability & User Experience Consultant
Consul@ng: Transporta)on, Web, So0ware, Hardware, Mobile, Healthcare, Business Strategy: Los Angeles Metropolitan Transporta=on Authority, Apple, MicrosoU, Yahoo!, Pitney Bowes, Visa, Autodesk, AMD, Bell, Shoppers Drugmart, Human Factors Interna=onal, Na=onal Research Council of Canada, University Health Network, Canada Health Infoway …
Teaching: Canadian Film Centre – Media Lab 2000+ University of Toronto – Computer Science 2004+ OCADU – Exec. Masters Design for Adver=sing, 2009+ Professional Development Courses in Industry & Conferences
Educa@on: M.Sc. Computer Science, University of Toronto 3
CHALLENGES Accessibility
Plan trip
Buy =cket
Enter system
Signage
Schedules
Exit
Maps
Parking
Navigate & transfer
Announcements
Accidents
Maintenance
… etc …
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Points of View
Customers
Operators Technology
A point of view is worth 80 points of IQ. -‐ Alan Kay
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Keyhole Effect
We can only see and perceive a small portion of the available information.
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Retrofigng old systems for accessibility creates costly, complex, and un-‐usable solu=ons: • too high LRT entrances • locked bridge plates • unmanned raise liUs
Accessibility
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Plan Trip
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Telephone trip planning is hard: hearing, language, note taking…
Online trip planning tools are oUen confusing: with awkward interac=ons & layout, & duplicate results
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Ticket Machines -‐ Chicago
This transit sta=on entrance has three =cket machines! Each machine is covered with text, images, and Post-‐its! New riders require human assistance to buy =ckets.
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Ticket Machines – Zurich
Swiss Trains use these three different =cket machines! Buying =ckets requires local exper=se -‐ knowledge of geography, zones, area codes… Errors occur …
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Ticket Design Different =cket designs pose
various challenges to riders:
• Detailed transit info
• Zones or direc=on covered
• Expiry date/=me • Usage instruc=ons
• Branding messages
• Legal no=ces
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Italian family buys a 28€ all-‐day train pass in Munich. Their brief sight seeing trip gets expensive! Inspector requires them to buy 36€ addi@onal @ckets for 15 minute ride back to their hotel because they boarded the wrong train.
Tickets, Signage, Naviga=on
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Passes & Cards Long lineups form each month to load TAP cards and buy passes Machine func=onality either not no=ced or not trusted:
• … Tap TAP to TAP target • Validate TAP • Add Value or pass to TAP • Check TAP status • TAP HERE TAP aqui
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Entry Gates -‐ BOSTON
Two different types of entry gates in one system confuse visitors.
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Entry
New users challenged by
• Unmanned entry
• Honor system
• Valida=on of =ckets • Transfers between modes
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Maps Using maps is difficult due to maps’ loca=on, scale, visibility, availability, quality, legibility.
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Doors Train doors requiring passenger ac=on challenge riders expec=ng automa=c doors.
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User Centered Design Tools
Observa=ons and surveys of current riders
Interviews of all stakeholders – riders, opera=ons, engineering
Personas of representa=ve users to assist design decision making
Usability tes=ng of current & proposed system elements Itera=ve design& prototyping for incremental improvement
Compe==ve analyses of worldwide systems, to iden=fy best prac=ces
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Breakout Discussion Recommenda=ons • Transit Riders Advocacy Needed
– Listen to users, observa=ons, interviews, stories eg: Ongoing Efforts into Customer & Stakeholder Research
• Guidelines Needed – Iden=fying best prac=ces worldwide, create best prac=ces guidelines,
Standards context sensi=ve, eg: like AASHTO , APTA, FTA… expanded?!
– Sugges=on for consor=um of Worldwide Transit Authori=es, …wiki?
– Students involvement in research & problem solving (compe==ons)
• Methods for Improvements – User appropriate design – low tech, high tech, no tech, op=ons…
appropriate for both first =me use and expert daily users
– Use of personas represen=ng different users to aid design decisions – Itera=ng design of transit systems including usability tes=ng of exis=ng
and planned systems 19 ILONA POSNER, Usability Consultant ©2011