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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


Keyhole Effect

We can only see and perceive a small portion of the available information.


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


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 …


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


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.


Entry

New users challenged by

•  Unmanned entry

•  Honor system

•  Valida=on of =ckets •  Transfers between modes


Maps Using maps is difficult due to maps’ loca=on, scale, visibility, availability, quality, legibility.


Doors Train doors requiring passenger ac=on challenge riders expec=ng automa=c doors.


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


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